Summary: Eret learns about a 'new' Snoggletogg tradition.
He'd traveled the world, encountered many cultures, but there was no doubt about it … Berk won hands down for the strangest name for a winter holiday.
Snoggletog was odd but certainly not unenjoyable. So far there were kids running around in costumes roaring at dragons, and people sneaking from house to house to hide gifts. The latter was a rather accidentally invented tradition, a very embarrassed-looking Astrid had told him. (Okay, that was a story she wasn't going to get away without telling!)
He was finding it all oddly charming until Ruffnut ran into him - literally and without apology, as she was wont to do since she'd met him.
"Hey, gorgeous. Wanna play a game?"
"Uh, not particularly, no." Eret stepped back and she stepped forward, flirting him into a literal corner.
"Come on, get in the spirit! We should play Missing Toe."
Eret wrinkled his nose in polite confusion, eyes darting sideways for a venue of escape. Just as he was about to make a dignified retreat (under the nearest table), the girl pointed up toward the rafters.
At a dismembered body part, bedecked with festive red berries and leaves tied around it.
"Missing Toe," Ruffnut explained loudly, over Eret's horrified head-turning screams, "Is a party game with some guy's toe that fell off. Frostbite: it happens! Now," she grinned wolfishly. "Pucker up and kiss me, you son of an Eret."
"What?! K-Kiss you? Why on earth would that be an even remotely sane thing to do under some putrid, decaying -"
"Hey!" Ack shouted from the crowd, offended, "That's my dad's toe you're talking about!"
" … you have my sincerest apologies," Eret retorted in sarcastic bewilderment, and Ruffnut advanced another step.
"Not even just a little kiss? It's a Berk tradition," she pouted saucily. There was muffled snickering from the Vikings surrounding them, but nobody bothered to correct the young woman. This was more entertaining to watch than the actual tradition anyway; Astrid's quick fist always got the drop on everyone and it had turned the betting pool rather stagnant.
Eret was practically climbing the wall. "I really don't think-"
"MISSING TOE! OOOH, I LOVE Missing Toe!" a voice yelled above the din. Ruff's face was the picture of resentment as she was suddenly shoved to the side.
"Don't waste it on her!" Tuff grinned at the confused and alarmed man before pointing to his own mouth. "Right here! Give it to me HARD, I want to taste blood!"
" … WHAT?!"
"Aye, give it to him!" someone who sounded suspiciously like Valka yelled.
"Yeah, it's tradition, Eret," Snotlout chimed in, grinning.
"Go on, right in the mouth! Like the lad asked for!" Gobber winked at him, grinning.
Well, the crowd wasn't about to let him get away without doing it. Eret growled in exasperation before grabbing the front of Tuffnut's shirt and yanking the young man forward.
"Eret, NO!" Ruff wailed.
"Eret, YES!" Fishlegs cheered, happy no-one was kissing his crush.
"MMRRRWHHT!?" Tuff flailed as he felt his lips kissed so hard they actually kind of hurt. Eret dropped him and stalked away, face reddening as multiple people clapped him on the back.
Others, like Snotlout and Gobber, were fairly crying with laughter and holding each other upright as the luckless Tuff sat up, dazed and breathless. Maybe even a little smitten.
"I think I liked that …"
"You ruin EVERYTHING!" Ruff yelled, stomping toward him.
"Hey sis, I can totally see why you - OWWWWW! OWOWOWOW!"
Eret shook his head and accepted the offered cup of mead from a friendly hand. He couldn't seem to stop the fire raging in his cheeks. "Berkians are freaking weird," he muttered into his drink, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time he thought that.