Saved Prompts

Stoick’s mama taught him to speak properly, and called him on it if he did not. Before her death, she tells Stoick he can speak however he likes. He honors her afterward by always being proper in his speech, then begins using contractions for pronouns—he’s, she’s it’s, but does not relax all his speech. When he marries Valka, she persuades him to relax his speech further, at least at home. Stoick never insists Hiccup use proper speech, symbolic of Stoick’s desire to provide Hiccup a childhood with fewer expectations.

Astrid, after Drago’s defeat, realizes Valka has no cooking skills whatsoever. Astrid is slowly bettering her skills in the kitchen, and teaches Valka how to make soup and bread. In return, Valka teaches Astrid to dance. Later, she and Stoick teach Hiccup the same dances.

Many on Berk lost homes and possessions, body parts and family members, even their own lives fighting the dragons. Stoick lost Valka to the dragons. Stoick lost a lot of time with Hiccup to nest hunts, and later, his role as Chief. Hiccup was disowned. “It’s a mess. You’ve lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend.” Hiccup lost a leg to the Red Death, Toothless was shot down during a raid and lost a tailfin. Gobber had two amputations, an arm and a leg. Valka was taken from her home by a dragon. She didn’t return, because she didn’t want to risk Hiccup’s life, or Cloudjumper’s. Toothless saved Hiccup many times. Stoick threw himself in front of Toothless’s plasma blast to save Hiccup. The dragons went to the Hidden World so they could be protected.

On Berk, protection often means sacrifice.

When Coalie returns to his home with Ange, she sees them differently. Some of Coalie's thoughts about his family are exaggerated, and some are wrong. Thye other clans keeping Coalie's clan down are at the root of this. Part of his desire to leave is to get away from the rigidity of his expected life.This is the impetus behind other rebellions in his clan, such as his uncle Diarmud having seven children.

After Valka returns to Berk, Stoick is badly injured from the fight with Drago, and needs to be nursed to health. She needs to care for him, but doesn’t want to. She wants to spend as much time as she can with dragons. She is ashamed of her behavior, and does not want to face Stoick and Hiccup. She sees Phlegma, who fights with her and tells her a few home truths. She owes Stoick for all the years she abandoned him. He requires care, and she had better provide it. Hiccup’s busy running the village, and with everyone rebuilding, she has to step up. If she’s going to call herself a wife, then she bloody well better look after Stoick. If Valka wants any kind of relationship with Hiccup, she bloody well had to look after Stoick, because even as a child, Hiccup protected Stoick. No one wanted to know where his allegiance lay if Valka neglected or abandoned him. Spending time with the dragons is Valka’s way of avoiding responsibility, just as Hiccup would vanish when Stoick tried to force him to become Chief.

Gerda Thorston was Valka’s best friend, and tells her just how bad things were for them in her absence. She’d kept an eye on the Haddocks for years, and is able to tell Valka how much she missed. Stoick’s job overtaking his life, how he never spoke of her, even to Hiccup. Hiccup’s neglect and how he suffered. Then the kicker: Stoick and Hiccup are close now, and neither want the other hurt. If they see her hurt one of them, the other will be angry/upset. “Take care, Valka. Your return to Berk has stirred up a lot of people, and if you don’t look after your men, there’ll be trouble. Not just with the tribe, but in your home. And remember, Hiccup has no experience with having a mother. Tread gently.”

Stoick banged his head against a rock and it split in two. His approach to his life, chiefdom, and problems is to bull his way through, thinking thst will solve the problem. This approach doesn’t work with Hiccup.

After the defeat of Drago, dragons from other places come to examine Berk. Among these is Thornado and the triplets Bing, Bang, and Boom.

Fishleg’s nephews begin slamming their heads into trees. They learned it from the twins. The twins learned to bang their helmets together by watching Spitelout hit his head with a hammer. Spitelout started doing it because Stoick broke a rock in two with his head.

Hiccup tells the twins he will listen to ideas for inventions. He’s joking, but they come up with an idea for a game from dragonback. People, I give you the frisbee.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut invent a special dragon scratcher. They don’t tell anyone else, but bribe other dragons with it. “Check this out, Hookfang. Feels good, doesn’t it? If you want more, we need some of your gel. Deal?”


The mead hall has chairs that can be disassembled and reassembled. They are brought out at need. Hiccup comes up with a better, more comfortable design for the chairs. He also develops chair attachments that can be added to the ends on benches, and suggests they have a few shorter benches.

Alvin is on Berk because his parents are divorced. He thinks he has to be the man of the family, but does not understand what manhood is about. It’s part of the reason he is so arrogant and prideful.

Lord Marshal Hardnut Thorston begins tutoring Stoick in advanced fighting skills. Stoick learns a new footwork drill and tells Alvin about it. Upon Alvin’s request, Stoick teaches him the pattern. Alvin is careless with it, stating he has it down. Stoick repeatedly goes over it, and Alvin refuses to change what he’s doing, claiming he is doing it correctly. It’s part of Alvin’s attitude, that he doesn’t have to exert himself if he doesn’t want to. Stoick becomes frustrated and brings it up to Gobber. The Lord Marshal hears of it, and watches Stoick demonstrate the drill, followed immediately by Alvin. He states Alvin is doing it wrong, and needs to practice basic skills before he can move forward to more complicated ones. Alvin is offended by the remarks—he considers himself Stoick’s equal, and possibly his better—and does not like being told he can’t do what Stoick can.

At Stoick’s next training session, the Lord Marshal tells him not to share any of his training with Alvin, because Berk needs well-trained fighters and Alvin is sloppy. Hardnut refuses to let Alvin mess up another skill. Stoick agrees.

Alvin becomes angry and resentful at Stoick when Stoick ceases to teach him any more. He cannot oppose the Lord Marshal, but takes his anger out on Stoick, repeatedly saying Stoick is no friend. He tries to force Stoick to break his word and calls him a coward for saying no. Stoick spends less time with Alvin and more with Afi Hofferson and other age mates who understand duty and expectation and honor as Alvin does not.

Alvin has clung to Stoick, and dislikes Stoick having other friends. He begins insisting Stoick spar with him, so he can defeat him, if not learn the skills. Alvin doesn’t have the proper frame of mind to be a fighter. Stoick is guided by Hardnut to not engage. Finally, he gets fed up enough to fight Alvin. Stoick publicly mops the floor with him. This leads to Stoick’s temporary loss of status and banishment from Berk. For Forty days, Stoick lives in the forest.



Before the events of Oswald the Antagonistic on Berk, Alvin acts entitled. He considers himself a warrior and pursues no career, assuring Stoick that is enough. Lord Marshal Hardnut Thorston has not added him to the ranks of the guard. Alvin has not asked for further training in fighting arts. His knowledge of tactics is limited, and he lacks comprehension of strategy. His ego has been fed by being a friend to Stoick. He believes himself Stoick's equal, and laboring at a job demeaning. Alvin argues with Stoick, trying to draw Chief Halvar the Unflinching’s son from legitimate work. “Ye don't need to fuss with all that rubbish.” “People haveta look out for themselves, Stoick.” “Surely it can wait fer another time.”

Stoick can't abandon his work. He's trying to find other crops that will grow in Berk’s soil. He's trying to find different construction techniques to preserve buildings. He's designing underground storage for root vegetables and dried foods. When Stoick needs help, Alvin gets in his way. When Stoick asks him for help, he generally refuses. Alvin doesn't want to help dig a trial root cellar.

Alvin acts as if he is above the tribe, above Stoick. He participates in the life of the tribe sometimes. Dragon fighting or strength competitions he enjoys. In bad weather, he escorts people home. He is good at hunting and tracking, though careless. He sacrifices little. His reasons are excuses that serve him alone. Stoick misses meals to make up for Alvin’s “I’m a growing lad and I needs my food.” Alvin could do with a little less feeding.

Stoick is frustrated, but Alvin is his friend and does fight. He supports Stoick much of the time, and their history colors Stoick’s perception of Alvin. Stoick did Alvin a grievious wrong, and never received a pardon for it, just an “Alright, enough.” But Alvin is not committed to Berk, and Stoick can not persuade him to act as tribe. Alvin enjoys refusing Stoick. It is a power play. Alvin does it to get Stoick back for the old wrong.

In the warm weather, sleeping above the forge is hot. Sleeping on the roof is cooler. Hiccup or Gobber creates a pulley system to get up to the roof where it’s cooler.

After the first movie, Stoick tells Hiccup to ask him for things he needs. He didn’t expect the questions Hiccup asked.

Stoick is so proud of Hiccup, and keeps coming up with things he wants to do before other tribes visit. Put detailing on Toothless’s saddle, create dress gear for Toothless, make a copy of the Haddock crest and attach it to the Night Fury’s saddle. Stoick wants to show off his son. Hiccup is unaware of this, and his dad is driving him bananas.

Thuggory and Mogadon come to visit Berk. Hiccup takes Thuggory aside and introduces him to Hiccup’s recent life. He gives Thuggory a miniature version of the Thunderear for listening in on conversations. Hiccup takes him flying. “Toothless, Thuggory’s going to fly with us. Toothless, gently. Toothless launches, giving Thuggory the Astrid treatment.

Hiccup sometimes hides on rooftops because no one knows he’s there or looks there for him.

Hiccup’s Mangler had a calibration issue. When he fires it, the recoil knocks him backwards.

The kill ring weapons stand is smashed, as are shields and some weapons. Who would collect them? For Astrid, touching the mess is sacreligious. What attitudes would people have?

In the kill ring scene, Astrid’s hair is out of her eyes. She can see clearly. Before Hiccup enters the ring, you can see the trepidation in her eyes.

The events in Berk following the death of the queen—during Hiccup’s coma—prompt the others to visit him. The gang, Spitelout, Gobber. Stoick finds something new to tell him every day. In the aftermath, they come to recognize things in Hiccup they never noticed before.

Valka can’t eat roast boar because it smells like burning flesh.

Hiccup leans what burning flesh smells like shortly before a festival, and tries refusing the traditional roast boar. People keep insisting he eat it, and place a large plate of it under his nose.

After the attack by Drago, members of the tribe are maimed and/or undergo amputation. Hiccup realizes that the smell of burnt flesh once clung to Gobber. It puts Gobber’s tendency to B.O. in perspective.

Stoick is a creature of habit. Even though Hiccup was needed at the forge, Stoick yelled at him to get inside.

Stoick is one of the people Hiccup almost got killed.

Hiccup learns to throw his voice. He uses it to distract people and in at least one occasion to save Snotlout. Snotlout challenges him to use someone’s accent while he does. Hiccup does, copying multiple accents. Some are familiar, like Hardnut Thorston and Mulch. Snotlout asks Hiccup how long he’s been throwing his voice, and how long he’s been imitating accents. Hiccup answers, and a great mystery is solved for Snotlout. There were a few times Dogsbreath and Gruffnut were threatening Snotlout, but left when they heard voices to avoid getting caught.

Hiccup redraws the map of Berk from dragon back

Stoick begins shouting as a way to get people to listen to their new chief. He is dealing with a crowd and mutters to Valka that no one is paying attention to him. Valka backs up and slams her staff into his helmet. He shouts, and the crowd quiets. Valka murmurs, “They’re paying attention now. Make the most of it.”

Hiccup wheeled the mangler, not to a random cliff, but to the point he could best see and track the night fury. He knew there would be another attack on a catapult. He learned the dragon’s habits and chose the cliff strategically.

Zipplebacks and Smothering Smokebreaths both emit an obscuring fog. Flightmares emit a paralyzing mist. Do these dragons have anything in common? Do they have a common ancestry? Helheim’s gate was shrouded in thick fog. Did they live there or breed there? Does it allow them to escape danger?

Stoick is the only one who wears studded bracers. Everything about Stoick is more—the width of his belt, the shoulder armor, studs in his clothes while others have flat disks

Hiccup has no bracers, just leather strips on his sleeves, not his arms. All the other teenagers wear proper bracers

During the conversation about dragon training, Stoick repositions Hiccup twice. You walk like us—hauls Hiccup’s left arm up resets it. You talk like us—grabs Hiccup’s right shoulder and straightens it. Think like us—points his index finger at his head. No more of this—Stoick thrusts his hands forward.

At the word “deal” from Hiccup, Stoick hesitates. He wants to say more to Hiccup, but doesn’t know what to tell him. He pushes the awkward moment aside in favor of a simple recognition. “Good.” He loves Hiccup, worries about him, and will miss him during the nest hunt./


At Gobber’s words “the more Viking like teens,” Gobber pats Hiccup on the shoulder twice and chuckles.

The building tempo in the music matches the growing speed of Fishlegs reciting dragon facts. The dragons are accustomed to Gobber’s voice. Fishlegs’s continuing remarks introduce then to an unknown human, and they become agitated. This is part of the reason Meatlug is so aggressive when she is released from her cage.

The gronckle knew it was being released and was ready to attack.

Astrid is the only one in the ring acting with purpose.

When Gobber says “Dont worry, you’ll get another chance,” he’s talking to the dragon, not the kids.

Dragon training is clearly dangerous, and the teens are largely unprepared for the level of risk. The attitude towards safety and readiness is cavalier. Alternatively, Hiccup’s class might be particularly pathetic.

In the dragon book scene, it ends on the picture of Toothless and his missing tail fin. Immediate after, the scene with the ships begins with a spiky dragon tail on the sail of Stoick’s ship—a left tail fin.

The Haddock chiefs and heirs are blessed with an amazing ability to survive. Some believe that’s the only reason Hiccup is still breathing.

Hiccup decides to create a Night Fury pamphlet.

Coalie can be too quick to agree with other people’s wants. He has trouble saying no.
The dragons decide to have their own Thawfest.

When Sylvi travels to meet other Gothis, she is taught things she doesn’t expect to need, like how to cook gourmet meals. She winds up teaching Valka basic cooking skills.

Death of an Ordinary Man

Chapter One: Stoick’s Assignment
Chapter Two: Hiccup’s Search
Chapter Three: The Talks with Afi and with Stoick.
Chapter Four: The Speech

Night Furies never miss, but Hiccup shot one down in the dark, and no one had ever seen one and lived to tell the tale. Hiccup used the dragon’s skill to track and capture it. He thought if the solution, instead of taking a fighter’s approach. Hiccup used what he was best at—strategy.

Stoick’s father is still alive and living on Meathead when Valka is taken. Unable to make the journey to Berk, he writes Stoick a letter. In that letter he uses the word son, and Stoick decides to call Hiccup that, because he’s not just a boy or a lad, he’s Stoick and Valka’s child.

Hiccup knots his apron securely every time he wears it. He learns new types of knots and uses them on his apron. When Gobber brings it up, Hiccup says he knows how to tie them, so why not use the knowledge? Gobber has no answer; Hiccup has a point. This echoes Halvar’s saying “All knowledge is useful, boy or girl.”

Hiccup learns all kinds of knots and ties his bags shut with ones the other kids can’t open.

Brenna will be marrying within the next several years. The women and girls tell Stoick this has nothing to do with him, and to stay out of it.
Stoick refuses to deny her his assistance—they have worked and learned together too much for him to let her struggle to understand. He asks and she tells him what she hears. He asks questions and listens. He contributes his thoughts and helps her work it through. He even goes to Halvar, ostensibly to chat about his sister and her new expectations or to ask for some wisdom or perspective. It is for Brenna, there is a tacit understanding. It is their duty to look out for her until she says her vows. For years he has been a bridge between Flint and Brenna, and now he is a bridge between Brenna and himself, Brenna and the tribe, Brenna and Papa’s teachings. Halvar offers his thinking to Stoick frequently in Brenna’s presence.

Another thing Halvar and Stoick do for Brenna us teach her strategy games. Women did not play games, only men. This is a further way to let Brenna grow to her potential, offered under the auspices of “all knowledge is useful, boy or girl.”

Mogadon’s father is named Flummox.

Stoick the Vast, as a child, banged his head against a rock and it split in two. The rock, he didn’t realize, was chalk.

Hiccup—small, weak Hiccup—threw himself against the Red Death, a massive, vicious Boulder-class dragon and lost a leg.

Who was the better of the two?

What if the axe Astrid wedged under the gate to the arena was melted down to make Hiccup’s prosthetic?

Ruffnut makes her prom gown from home made colored tape

Mildew refers to Hiccup as Halvar’s “grand spawn.”

After Hiccup gives Stoick his tankard, Stoick begins training Hiccup to be Chief. He sees Hiccup taking responsibility for his actions and finding a good , if unusual, solution to the problem.

Making dye from Zippleback gas.

Hiccup invents the seesaw.

When Stoick was missing from Berk, Hiccup lacked the consistent discipline his father provided. He got into trouble and whoever dealt with it, it wasn’t Stoick. Even if he’d truly screwed up, there was comfort in having Stoick deal with him. It was an affirmation that Stoick cared, even when he shouted and handed down punishments.

The more Stoick went on nest hunts, the more Hiccup’s troublemaking got him in the bad graces of the tribe. If his dad was home, Stoick would see to his son. With Stoick gone, the villagers would not drop it for weeks. When Stoick returned home, the tribe made sure to tell him everything Hiccup did wrong. It was difficult for both of them.

Cobweb’s name is Startle, Tart for short.

A horned mythical animal is rumored to haunt the archipelago—the Yakalope. A story featuring the twins.

Gothi can use ordinary runes but develops her own adapted from the common ones. Some are idiographic. She develops them because she is artistic and good at drawing. When Valka trains under Gothi, she learns to draw, discovering she has a natural gift for it.

ROB/DOB timeline

Dared by the twins to build something “cool” like Hiccup can, Snotlout breaks into the forge, finds some of Hiccup’s blueprints, and uses the smithy to build a prototype of Hiccup’s relighting torch. To further reveal his exploits, he runs into Mead Hall waving it around.

“Today he becomes one of us.”

Veronica feels like she’s not truly a Hooligan because she was born on Meathead. She thinks she will never be one of them. She doesn’t want Flint’s identity to be subsumed by the tribe, and resists letting him become one of them. She is isolating him to be there with her. She feels lonely and threatened and stifling Flint and Stoick is how she copes.


Hiccup
Tired of everyone knowing when he’s coming, Hiccup tries to make something to cover his prosthetic.

Gobber is troubled by this and wonders if Hiccup thinks less of himself/Gobber/others with missing limbs.

Astrid likes hearing him arrive; the other riders likewise like knowing their leader is there.

Egmund the Mercurial

Words for insults
Rapscallion
Gongformer
Dunnykin
Cludgie
A-Blakeberied—-confused
Abusion—-deception, heresy, falsehood, shameful act
Albion—Britain
Suppurating
Calcination—-reduce to powder
Blowsy
Grotty

Hiccup knows that just one more invention and he can make his dad proud. Just once more. Stoick knows that one more nest hunt and he will find and destroy those dragons. Just one more.

Hiccup’s growth spurt has him refashioning his leg every few days. He uses this as an opportunity to experiment with attachments. Not all of them work. Tuffnut suggests he create a collection of all these legs for posterity.

Snotlout asks the question where do I want to be in 5yrs

Playing in the Break Your Heart, Steal Your Crown/ Coming Down is the Hardest Thing universe.

Hiccup is invited to spend the night in his father’s house. He says he will sleep outside with Toothless, because that’s how it is, how it’s been, for many years. Stoick says “The dragon—Toothless—can sleep inside as well.” Both men are shocked by the remark; Hiccup never expected to get such an invitation, and Stoick said it without any thought. It feels right for Stoick, to make this concession for his son and Hiccup’s dragon. Hiccup accepts, with the compromise that if they become uncomfortable, they’ll go sleep outside. Toothless capitulates. Hiccup and Stoick spend an awkward but decent evening together.

Stoick wants to know more about Hiccup during this visit. Hiccup doesn’t want to answer his questions, but by his words and actions offers a window into who he is. If Stoick is smart enough to study his son, he will learn. Maybe then Hiccup can see if Stoick has changed. If he has, maybe their relationship will improve.

After reading the letters Stoick sent with Gobber, Hiccup returns to Berk to see Stoick face to face. He asks Stoick for a carved wooden duck for his grandchild. He gives Stoick drawings of everyone and sketches Stoick to take the pictures back with him. It’s a bittersweet meeting. Berk is dying and Stoick will soon be alone. Hiccup gives him the drawings, so he can see Valka and his grandson. The meeting resolves something for them. Hiccup can see how much Stoick loves him, has always loved him, and Hiccup can give him the comfort of knowing he is loved and remembered in return. Hiccup will tell his children about their grandfather who carved the duck. They may not meet again, but Stoick has seen the man Hiccup became, and has joy from the meeting. Hiccup learns that however badly his father treated him, Stoick did love him. Both men have bettered their relationship, and have peace from the meeting.


When Hiccup is younger, 11-13, he suggests things to Stoick that would benefit the tribe and the war. He tries to get Stoick to think about building the catapults differently to improve the trajectory. Stoick is concerned with where to place them, not how to fling the rocks and rejects the idea. Hiccup also mentions grouping several smaller rocks tied together into a net together instead of only using boulders. It would have the effect of buckshot, injuring a dragon in more than one place. Stoick rejects this too. Hiccup, ever the student, looks into old records and finds the idea there. If the idea comes from Hiccup’s mouth, Stoick disregards it. If Stoick found it already written down, he’d consider it. Stoick is distancing himself from Hiccup, and thinks Hiccup doesn’t realize how things work. Hiccup is trying to help his tribe and father, and Stoick sees only foolishness. Stoick, as a child, was encouraged to think and to attempt new things by his father. Stoick has become resistant to having Hiccup do the same.

Initially, Stoick encouraged Hiccup to think and try things, but Hiccup has learned some of the realities Stoick hid from him. Stoick gets injured on nest hunts, fewer ships come back, and sometimes fewer warriors. He’s afraid for Stoick as he never was before. Stoick shuts him down, tells him he’s wrong, lies abou5 his health. The message is clear: the truth doesn’t matter, you will accept this. Your thinking is wrong, because I say so. Only think approved thoughts. No arguing. Just as Stoick wants to find the nest and destroy it, Hiccup wants to kill as many dragons as possible during raids, because that way there’s fewer dragons to attack his father during nest hunts.

Gobber listens to Hiccup and wishes Stoick would just listen, even if he never used the ideas. Hiccup’s creations were originally small, useful items like a sand timer. Now he has a further motivation—he wants Stoick to see him, and approve of his achievements. Stoick never listens to Hiccup talk about his work in the smithy. Hiccup will force his father to notice him.

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