The Manor by the Sea
"You could've picked any day of the week to do the groceries, MK." Hiccup glanced at her through the rear view mirror. He drummed the wheel lightly as he drove.
"An all-in-one trip saves more gas," MK scratched Toothless' neck.
"We don't have a gas problem."
"I have a gas problem," MK said to which Hiccup snickered. "I don't—You know what I mean! Climate change! And Burgess doesn't have the mochi ice cream Rapunzel's been fawning about and I really wanna try them."
"Rapunzel returns next week, you could've waited until then!"
"That doesn't change the fact that we need groceries and her last stop is Germany, the mochi would be gone by then," MK smirked, digging for the ice cream from one of her bags. "Besides, why are you so...weird...about picking this Merida girl up? It's not like we're abducting her."
Hiccup sighed and looked straight ahead. "It's just... it's been a while since… well, three years, I guess, since we found you—seven years after me."
MK looked out the window, nodding. She knew how much this meant to the other members but never really stopped to think about how Hiccup felt about…all this. Well, she didn't even stop to think about how she felt about all this.
Things used to be as normal as mutant life could get. They had a routine; training and what not. Exercise and combat with Aster in the morning, chores and academics with North right after, therapy with Tooth after lunch, free time / recreation, dinner then meditation with Sandy. It was a pattern that they could easily bend and adjust depending on what they all feel like doing or what jobs they have on a day-to-day basis. But what will happen now? Were they supposed to fight? Are they ready to face an ancient power? She and Hiccup weren't exactly training for combat. Jack and Rapunzel only ever worked against city crimes and fires. Sure they could ask help from San Fransokyo's registered heroes but would that be enough? Were they enough?
She unwrapped the mochi before asking. "Hey, you've read the archives, right?"
"Yeah, some of them."
"Do you know what happened? With the Guardians and...Pitch?"
Hiccup glanced at her before shaking his head. "The accounts weren't really specific about it. Just that Pitch went on a rampage, wiped out the Academy. Only Jack and the remaining faculty came out alive."
MK leaned against the window as she ate, "Pretty sure that's because they're practically immortals."
Hiccup chuckled, "I guess so. That doesn't really paint a pretty picture though."
"Hey...isn't that Merida?" MK rolled her window down and craned her neck. Hiccup raised an eyebrow and slowed down. On the sidewalk walked the redhead with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She walked with her head down and seemed to be kicking the pavement as she did.
Hiccup rolled the passenger seat's window down and yelled, "Merida? I thought we were meeting you at your place?" The address was a few blocks ahead and they were significantly earlier than expected time of arrival. Why would she be out here with her baggage?
Merida flinched and faced them, tugging off an earphone.
"Are we too early?" Hiccup asked as he parked the car, luckily there was an empty spot nearby. He leaned towards the passenger seat to get a better look at her. "I thought we were meeting you at your place?"
Her cheeks were all red and she was sniffling. Was she crying? Merida took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes. "Naye, ye're no' early. Ah'm just—" she walked over. "Just clearing mah' mind."
Hiccup nodded, glancing at MK who was staring at the young woman. Good to know that he wasn't the only one who stared at Merida the first time he saw her. "Well, uh. Wanna get in? I'll pop the trunk for your bag."
Merida nodded, readjusting the bag on her shoulder. Once she threw in her bag and closed the trunk, she slid into the passenger seat.
"Seat belts." Hiccup said as he drove them off, careful not to bump into the parked car in front of them. "D'you have more stuff at your place?"
She shook her head, her eye catching MK's through the rearview mirror.
"That's MK," Hiccup said. "She insisted on coming."
"Hi," MK leaned over, smiling. "Do you want some ice cream?"
"Hello, erm, sure? Thanks," Merida received the little pouch of mochi ice cream. She unwrapped it and leaned her head against the window, silently watching the buildings pass by.
"Aren't you gonna offer me some?" Hiccup pouted.
"No, you didn't even want me here," MK rolled her eyes as she tossed a mochi pouch next to the gearshift.
…
Merida watched the buildings pass by as they shrank. Buildings turned into little shops then wooden houses then spaced out neighborhoods then bushes and the occasional tree.
She was going to miss San Fransokyo. The bustling streets, the sakura trees, the music, the food. She had worked in the city for three years but living in it was an entirely different experience. Even if it was just hardly a month.
And now she was going to live with strangers (not complete strangers but strangers nonetheless). Somewhere in Burgess. She hated to leave. Especially with how she left things with her best friend…
Merida took a deep breath and focused on the road ahead. She would glance at Hiccup who would glance at her and give her a little smile. Then she would glance at MK and Toothless at the back of the little car. MK mindlessly scrolled through her phone while Toothless seemed to have made a nest within the grocery bags.
The car ride was relatively quiet, save for MK's occasional song complaint that would go:
"Please just let me have the aux." MK would say.
"What's wrong with my playlist?!" Hiccup would then feign offense, even dramatically clutching his chest.
"Math rock isn't the most conventional road trip music."
"What even is convenientional road trip music?"
"Just give me the aux!"
"I'm driving. And Merida doesn't mind my music, right?"
Merida should've disagreed with him the first time this happened but she didn't know any better so she said, "Yeah, Ah don't mind. It's kinda interestin." MK would then sulk for a while, a good fifteen minutes give or take, then she'd start again.
The fourth time this happened, Merida finally took the aux from Hiccup's phone and gave it to MK.
MK then proceeded to play either Taylor Swift songs, the OST of Mamma Mia, or some foreign indie folk artist.
Merida couldn't decide whether this was better or worse than Hiccup's math rock. (What even is math rock?) Regardless, the easy-to-follow lyrics and melody (along with MK's singing) did a better job at drowning her thoughts than the previous playlist.
For about an hour, the road had just been fields, farms, and forests. Not a single person for miles. Was Burgess always this far from San Fransokyo? Merida was starting to doze off when Hiccup started talking.
"Did you hear what I just said?" he asked and flipped a right turn signal. "Hold on, it's gonna be bumpy."
What did he say? Something about security? She raised an eyebrow and looked forward. There weren't any roads to their right, only trees. "What do ye—"
They went off the road and "SHITE ARE YA GONNA KILL US—" she screamed. Hiccup sped up towards the trees. She held onto her seat as they bounced off the road. MK was saying something behind her but she couldn't hear anything over her heartbeat and screaming. The car wobbled over the uneven dirt and Hiccup increased their speed. Merida practically dug herself into her chair and shut her eyes. "HICCUP!"
BWOP!
A warmth wrapped them into a fuzzy embrace. The song from the speakers sounded distant for a moment then it faded back in as the warmth left them.
They're...alive? Merida slowly opened her eyes. No collision. No branches sticking into the car. No scratches. No crash. There was a road in front of them and on either side of the roads were lush trees.
She looked behind them and saw the road they left behind a mirage of trees. It felt like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. Her lungs were in no better condition. She was going to explode.
MK laughed, "I had the same reaction the first time I went through that. Trust me, it gets better."
"How did—" Merida rolled her window down and peaked out. "Are we dead?"
"It's a cloaking technology powered with one of the staff's abilities. It's kind of like a gate, you can only go in or out with a key," Hiccup said. "Cool, isn't it?"
"They're not actual trees, if that's what you're thinking," MK chimed, stroking Toothless in his grocery bag nest. "Though they do behave like real ones."
Merida nodded and sat properly. She took a deep breath. She turned to her companions, "Is there anything else ye need to tell me so Ah' wouldn't scream to death?"
MK pursed her lips, glancing at Hiccup then at Toothless then back to Merida. "There's two staff members that are animal-human hybrids," she raised three fingers. "Then one who glows and is made of sand."
Merida's jaw slightly hung open. She knew that things were going to get weird but she didn't really know what to expect. Though that's not really fair coming from someone who combusts into flames.
"The dome's pretty much the only scary-scary thing within the estate's territory," MK nodded to herself, glancing at Toothless and Hiccup again.
Merida raised an eyebrow, "Are ye sure?"
"Yes. Completely."
After a few more minutes of uphill lush forests, Merida could make out a mansion at the top of a hill. It looked foreign, nothing like she's ever seen around Burgess or San Fransokyo. She could vaguely recognize the architecture from the books her mother had her read. Pale blue walls, sloped roofing, tall windows, golden trims. As they made their way higher, a breathtaking view of the ocean revealed itself. The mansion was on a cliff, overlooking both the ocean and acres of farmland and forests. They drove around a flower bed roundabout before parking on the driveway.
Her mouth gaped as she got out of the car. The estate feels awfully familiar. It was peaceful and full of life. The air smelled like salt water and lush greenery. From afar, she could see a greenhouse and a stable. Even if they told her that the Association was few in number, she didn't expect it to be so still and quiet.
She couldn't take her eyes off the building as she took her bag from the trunk. Hiccup and MK carried the grocery bags. They climbed up the stairs and Hiccup pushed the great double doors. They were immediately greeted by two curved stairs that met in front of a wide window. Above them was a spectacular chandelier that sparkled from the sunlight bursting through the windows. The crystals reflected rainbow spots onto the walls and marble floors.
Toothless circled around her before disappearing upstairs. She swore the cat was a lot smaller in the car and now he was almost as big as a medium dog.
Hiccup motioned for her to follow them in. They walked to the right and entered a living room. The ceiling was white and curved, complementing the dark blue walls and gold detailings. Blue velvet chairs were carelessly sprawled around the fireplace, completely ignoring the larger sofas. Tall windows illuminated the room.
"Wait here, just gonna bring these to the kitchen," Hiccup said. MK had already disappeared into another room. "Make yourself at home," he smiled before following MK.
"Okay," Merida said. She placed her bag down on one of the chairs and walked towards the fireplace. Above it was a portrait of a round man in white and gold with wispy white hair. He looked extremely young and old at the same time.
"Emmanuil Lunanoff the 12th."
Merida twirled around. Standing near the archway to the living room was Jack. He looked different. Brown hair and all.
"He's the Association's founder." He walked beside her, staring at the painting. He crossed his arms and smirked, "Rumor says he's still alive."
"When did he build the Association?" Merida raised an eyebrow.
"One or two hundred years ago? Give or take?" Jack shrugged, plopping to a nearby chair.
"So he's immortal?" She walked over to the wall of frames. Various pictures decorated it from portraits to class pictures to news clippings. A couple of faces kept repeating through the years of class pictures. The last class picture taken was made up of mostly people she's already met.
"You'd be surprised."
She looked back at him and he smiled. "Are you—"
"Sorry it took so long," Hiccup returned, soaking wet. In his arms were surprisingly dry sheets. "Someone messed with the kitchen faucet again. Do you know who did it, Jack?"
Jack skipped to a window and popped it open. "No idea," he smiled before jumping out the window.
"I'll have my revenge, Frost!" Hiccup ran to the window, shaking his fist. "Anyway, let's get you settled," he turned to Merida.
…
The wide window at the end of the stairs overlooked the ocean. In front of the window was a small sitting area. The waves were gentle and constant, ebbing and flowing.
"Most of the house is closed off so you won't really get too lost but I can give you a tour later," Hiccup said, walking to the hallway to the right. "Merida?"
"Ah can't believe you guys live here," she said before following him. The wooden floorboards creaked as they walked. To their left were more windows and to the right were wooden doors. The walls were covered in cream-colored celestial themed wallpaper. They passed four doors and stopped at the fifth.
"Here we are," Hiccup opened the door and it squeaked.
It was a fairly large room with a bed, a desk and chair, a nightstand, a lamp, a wardrobe, and a curtain-covered window. The walls were painted a pale blue. Merida walked in and placed her bag on the bed.
"There used to be another set of furniture over here," Hiccup motioned to the right side of the room as he placed the sheets on top of the desk. "But since we don't have roommates, it's empty and you can redecorate. Take furniture from storage and fill it up. I can help you with that."
He pocketed his hands and nodded around the room, mentally going through a list. "Erm, I'll-I'll let you settle. Bathroom's the 8th door, it's shared. And if you need me, well, not me specifically, just, if you need help, I'm just two doors from here."
Merida sat down on the bed and nodded. She smiled at Hiccup, "Thanks."
"Right," Hiccup clasped his hands together and nodded again. "Do you want me to close the door?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, okay."
Once he was gone, Merida let out a big sigh and lied on the bed. She checked her phone and it was only midday. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. At least the day was going better than how it started.
"Is everything I know about you a lie?"
Her eyes fluttered open. She got up and removed her jacket, throwing it on the bed. She then pushed the curtains open, revealing the view of the garden. She took the sheets from the desk and spread it open over the bare bed, tucking the ends under, smoothing it out. She tossed her bag inside the wardrobe and headed out.
At her doorstep was Toothless. His acid green eyes stared up at her and his tail danced behind him.
"What do ye want?" Merida stepped around the cat and his eyes followed her. Was he now smaller?
He meowed and circled around her. He walked down the hallway and looked back at her, his head bobbing to the side.
Merida tucked her hair behind her ear and furrowed her eyebrows. "You...ye want me to follow you?"
The black cat blinked and continued walking.
What is it with her and following suspicious creatures?
The cat led her down the hall, past the sitting area by the window, down another similar hall and finally through an anteroom. The room was similar to the living room but on a smaller scale with dark green and gold motifs instead of dark blue and gold. There were two doors and an archway that lead to a spiral staircase. On the walls were framed pressed flowers and watercolor paintings. Between the two doors was a tall gilded mirror atop an accent table. Toothless lept atop the coffee table and stared at her.
Merida walked around the room, looking at the pictures. "Why did ye bring me—" she turned to see that the cat was gone. "—here?"
She looked under the furniture, "Toothless? Where are ye, boy? Yer freakin' me out and Ah'm onto you."
"Merida! You're here!"
She bumped her head in the process of getting up. A familiar face smiled at her. "Tooth? Ye...erm…"
"Look different?" Tooth raised an eyebrow. The lady was covered in iridescent feathers from head to toe, save for her face and hands, and behind her were wings similar to dragonfly wings. She flew to the farther door and opened it. "Come on in, I assume Hiccup's already told you what's going to happen?"
"No, not really. The cat led me here actually," Merida followed Tooth inside. It was an office with a magnificent high ceiling. At the center was a table and ceiling-to-floor filing cabinets covered the walls. The cabinets were pastel pink with blooming gold branches and on the windows were sheer teal curtains.
"The ca—"
"Tooth, have you seen Toothless?" Hiccup suddenly barged into the office, panting. "He's disappeared agai—Oh my gods, Merida! You're here! I-I forgot to orient you! Properly!" He rubbed his face, efficiently spreading his sweat all over his face.
"Aye, yer cat did the job for ya," Merida chuckled.
Tooth opened a drawer and placed a folder on her desk. She rummaged another drawer and took a pen out, "Do forgive him, he's not usually like this."
"I'm right here," Hiccup rolled his eyes, a rosy tint spreading across his face to his ears. "Do you, er, do you still need me to orient her?"
Tooth fluttered to her table and smiled,"I don't think that will be necessary."
Hiccup nodded and awkwardly waved at Merida before running out the office, closing the door behind him.
Merida turned to Tooth.
"Come sit, we've got a lot to talk about."
A/N: whaddup whaddup its ya guuuuuurl ! truth be told, this has been sitting in my drafts since december/january and i honestly just didn't know where to stop it at. i apologize for the pacing / mistakes, ive read through this a million times i literally cannot read anymore
in another world, this chapter would have 4k-5k words and i wouldve made everything move too quickly for my liking. i have no idea when the next update will be as time does not exist for me anymore beep boop beep
also in another draft, hiccup would have been playing taylor swift's folklore or evermore during the car ride to lunanoff manor and mk would have replaced it with an obscure indie folk band from norway or something. but i thought: hiccup would like taylor swift for her lyricism especially folklore and evermore since those are p focused on forests and lore and all that BUT he would not openly expose himself like that to MK, Jack's partner in teasing Hiccup. And im not quite sure if it checks out for hiccup's character so i just stuck with the safe choice of math rock.
now you may ask me: "lani, what the hell is math rock?" and the answer to that is your guess is as good as mine. i have no idea what it is except for the fact that it is filled with instrumentals, very funky, and obscure. im pretty sure it has something to do with odd and/or multiple time signatures (hence: math). i just have a feeling that hiccup would be into that. it's experimental, spontaneous, nearer to jazz than traditional rock—not everyone can understand or appreciate it. if you'd like to listen to some bands for some reason, I personally like Covet and This Town Needs Guns. though i only listen to them when i have no thoughts and want to see more colors in music than usual and be tickled by music.
The sole reason why MK plays the Mamma Mia OST is because she is voiced by Amanda Seyfried. also ABBA is a great band. many bangers.
anyway, thanks for reading ! i really do appreciate it. next update would probably be rapunzel-centered so stay tuned for that. k love u bye