Okay, next chapter. This particular piece was written with character description in mind. You should also note that this story does not take place in chronological order. So yeah.
Enjoy!
Hiccup closed the door with considerable force as he retreated to the dry belly of his boat.
His eyebrows were furrowed as he stripped off his canary-yellow rain slicker to his grey thermal sweater underneath. Despite the water resistant clothing, the downpour had crept down his collar and dampened his shirt. His body shivered as the wet fabric clung to his lanky frame. He pulled on the material, trying to keep up the illusion that he wasn't just skin and bones and he had developed muscles over the years of hauling in nets.
His hair was darkened with the rain and plastered onto his forehead. Little drops collected on the ends and fell in his personal storm. The torments from those that have gone off to schools where they can become anything had become too much. He was stuck here on this rock, stuck with the same life that his father had. He wanted more, but he knew it just wasn't in the cards.
He grabbed a towel that he kept around for times like these to soak the water from his hair and reduce the muscle spasms. He could smell the inescapable stench of fish on the towel which had him throwing it away quickly. He didn't need to smell like this profession. He left his coveralls on since taking them off would be too difficult with his ailment. He retrieved his notebook from his the pocket of his raincoat before moving deeper into the boat.
The gentle rock masked the limp that was present on land. He was comfortable here, despite how much he hated it. He made his way to the small cot. It was uncomfortable, but Hiccup never slept long so it didn't matter. He piled pillows at one end for his head before cramming himself into the bed. His frame was two feet too tall for the cot, his feet hanging over the edge of the bed and touching the ground. On his back, he pushed his hair back before flipping through his notebook. He recalled creating the doodles of girls and drabbles of thoughts that he has had in the past year. There were sketches for new ways on improving the boat so it was always the best of the fleet. He had another idea when he was outside and needed to write it down. If it worked, his boat would be unparalleled.
The rain picked up and made a greater racket on the port windows. Hiccup looked out to see the ocean reflect the grey clouds, a miserable picture to anyone. Shaking his head in disappointment, he finished up his drawing and calculations before he got up and retrieved his coat. Notebook tucked away, he pushed open the cabin door. He was cold, but he didn't bother putting up his coat. His once damp hair had become soaked again, and this time fell in a maelstrom in front of his eyes. He retrieved the nets that his mother needed to mend and made sure that all other equipment was put away.
He heard laughter, and looked over to see kids playing on the docks. He watched them in amusment for a while, his smile crooked and genuine. Then they started to push it. They used the mooring lines as play equipment, swinging from them like misbehaving monkeys. The extra tension caused the boats to knock against the wooden docks. Putting the netting down on a nearby crate, Hiccup walked over, knowing that if he yelled they would just laugh in his face.
"Where are your raincoats?" was all he said, and yet the kids skidded to a halt. His voice was soft but carried through the noise of the rain ricocheting off of every surface. They looked at each other while Hiccup raised his brows, waiting for an answer.
"Inside," a boy with a stutter spoke up.
"Go get them and stay off the docks." Standing up from his usual slouch, Hiccup met every child's eyes with intimidation in mind. They got the cue and took off, leaving Hiccup very happy with himself. If only his little brother would listen like that.
He retrieved his nets before following their disappearing footprints.
Okay, maybe you could view this as being in chronological order if you squint. Anyway, how was it? Did I capture Hiccup's inner turmoil? Lemmie know in a review! Oh, and maybe the next chapter will be when he loses his leg.. maybe it will have a little Astrid... you never know... :)
R&R!
Love, Ella