Cover art for "Sleepy Mornings" by @ritual-unions for @vikingsbigbang
When I first read the title and then the draft I knew precisely that I wanted to draw a cover artwork in an Art Nouveau style, incorporating the title within the composition, but without neglecting to preserve the atmosphere and feeling I got while I was reading.
It was a joy to draw something for the Vikings fandom again, since this was one of the first fandoms I joined here on tumblr, and I will always remember it fondly.
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Guys, are you ready for another wonderful story for the @vikingsbigbang winter 22 event?
This time, @peaceisadirtyword is gifting us with her talent. You can read her entry right here.
Summary: Freya spent her life searching for the kind of love her parents shared. The kind of love that makes them go crazy, the kind that burns in their chests, when they are sure they would rather die than lose each other. And she found it in Kjartan, her future husband and an ambitious man who vows not to marry until he is king. After years of trying and failing to conquer Kattegat, Kjartan seems to accept that he cannot defeat the king of Kattegat in battle, but he still has a plan to sit on the throne, and for that Ivar Ragnarsson must die.
And Freya, the loyal, sweet, innocent Freya, who would do anything for him, could be the key to achieve this. Someone that can sneak into Kattegat and reach the king’s chambers in the middle of the night to bury a knife in his chest. But when Freya gets caught, she learns no one should underestimate Ivar the Boneless.
Summary: Ubbe wasn't sure what he was expecting when he went to Mexico, and he certainly didn't think that he would fall in love with both a girl and the culture at the same time. When Xochilt comes into his life, the last thing he expected was that there would have to be a choice between family and love
AN: Thanks a bunch @vikingstrash for being patient with me and making the really great dividers and moodboards, and hope y’all enjoy this as I might write a series for these two.
Ubbe hadn’t really meant to learn Spanish.
When he and his younger brothers were still in high school, Hvitserk had chosen to sign up for a pen pal program in the school that was aimed at improving the student’s language skills. Needless to say, Hvitserk didn’t learn much Spanish while he was in school, it wouldn’t be until he was in university that he would even learn any of the language but to avoid his brother failing, Ubbe learned the language on his brother’s behalf. Looking back, perhaps it would have been better to let Hvitserk fail and learn on his own but ultimately Ubbe did appreciate being able to learn a language that was different from his own.
In filling the role of “pen pal,” Ubbe had struck up a small friendship with the person Hvitserk had been assigned to correspond. She was a nice girl from Mexico; Xochilt and explained to him from their very first letters that her name didn’t sound like he probably thought it did. She was a sweet person; frequently speaking of her family and everything they did together, her ambitions to see more of the world and possibly become a translator, and so much more she shared with him through letters.
But this was a time when an email or phone call wasn’t quite as feasible for her compared to Ubbe, so as time went on, communicating simply became much harder for them. Until eventually, communication ceased between the two when Ubbe went off for university to take up a position in his father’s company.
Years went by and a lot happened in his life since his cheerful days of writing letters; he married and divorced, his father died, his brothers fought bitterly over the family company before they worked things out, and at last things seemed to be settling down.
With all of his brothers working together to run their late father’s company, they all decided it would be good to expand it outside the company and who better to begin their expansion than Ubbe. Out of all his brother’s, he was the most fluent in multiple languages and they sent him off to begin the Latin American branch in the heart of Mexico City. He would spend the first year in the country as the company established itself and when that time ended, he would return back to his home in Denmark.
January
He had been in Mexico for roughly three weeks when he decided to take one of his employees' recommendations to check out the local markets or visit the plaza when he had the chance. Things had been a whirlwind of getting used to the time zone, using another language frequently, and settling himself in his temporary apartment. Ubbe figured that with the next meeting being in two weeks, it would give him the opportunity to get to know a bit of the place that he would live in for the next year.
For it being January, the weather was a nice mild 72 F (22 C) and Ubbe really looked forward to seeing the tianguis that he had heard some things about. The employee had briefly mentioned that depending on the area, would also determine whether or not the tianguis would be set up or if the streets would be bare. It took a bit of asking around and making sure that he used the correct words to find out that it would be best for him to go out on a Tuesday, as every week that is when people from the area near his apartment would set up their stalls.
Everything felt so vibrant, loud, and exciting for Ubbe as he walked amongst the people that were clearly there to purchase goods from the many open stalls. Samples of fruit and tasty treats had been quickly placed into his hands from the various vendors as he let himself be moved and pulled along with the crowd that flowed beneath the tarps that sheltered them from the slight sprinkling of rain.
It did feel a little stifling for the man as he had rarely ever been to anything similar to the market that he was currently in, he was a little embarrassed to think that he had spent so long having someone else buy his groceries or items that he had missed out on experiencing something similar. In letting himself be pulled in every which way, Ubbe hadn’t had much of a chance to ask too many questions but it was amazing to him that so many people del barrio were the ones that had set up the market and stalls out the front of their homes.
He was on the edge of the market and close to an open road, when someone called out to him.
“Oye, güerito. Do you mind moving out of the way? Someone’s trying to get past you and you’re blocking their way.”
Ubbe looked over his shoulder and spotted an elderly woman trying to get around him but was struggling to do so, quickly he moved and helped the woman pick up her basket onto the sidewalk and was rewarded with a nice pinch on the cheek.
Once more the voice called out to him, “I have never seen you around these parts. Where are you from güerito?”
Ubbe looked around to find who it was that kept talking to him, a young woman with long dark hair gently waved at him in amusement from where she was perched. A much older woman sat beside her and she softly tapped at her shoulder, whispering something that he couldn’t quite hear and moved away from her stall of pottery.
“You never answered my question güerito, are you simply visiting the area or a tourist?” she asked.
“I suppose both, since I am from Denmark” he chuckled. “But I’m here for the year and wanted to see the tianguis that one of my employees had mentioned to me. I will be honest, I am a little bit overwhelmed with everything but I think that I would like to come again on the days that I am not too busy.”
“Well there is plenty in the city and even the barrio itself for you to see, if I remember correctly there should be more than 150 museums for you to choose from and see the things that they have to offer” she said with a pensive expression. “Some of them are free to the public, but like many places there are others that charge a modest fee for the experience of getting to see everything.”
“You’re very knowledgeable about it all, have you been to all 150 museums?”
She laughed, “No I have not. But I am very proud of where I am from and what better way to show it off than to know as much as I can about the very place in which I was born.”
“Have you ever thought about being a tour guide?” he asked. “You seem like you have plenty of stories to tell about it all and would probably know much more than you’re letting me on.”
“I feel like you’re subtly trying to ask me if I would be willing to show you around some of these things since you have very little knowledge about these things” she said and smiled in amusement. “You’re still a stranger to me and I don’t go to places without at least knowing someone’s name.”
She looked at him pointedly and gestured to let him know that she was waiting.
"My name is Ubbe, Ubbe Ragnarsson."
"Huh," she chuckled. "I have no idea how common that name is in your country Ubbe, because I remember while in high school there was a boy who wrote on his brother's behalf with that exact name."
He frowned in confusion but also furrowed his brow in wonder.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Xochilt, Xochilt Rodriguez but my name doesn't sound like how you think it will be spelled."
"Well how would you spell your name? Maybe I do know how it's supposed to be."
"It's X - O - C - H - I - L - T"
"Looks like it is a very small world then Xochilt, because I am pretty sure that I was that same person that wrote to you on his brother's behalf."
A smile lit up her features and she called out to her great grandmother, "Mama Consuelo encontre el güerito de cuando estaba en la secundaria!"
May
Time went quickly and Ubbe couldn’t believe that he had already been in Mexico for 5 months, spending so much time with Xochilt and her great grandmother Doña Consuelo, it felt like he had always lived in Mexico. Of course, he couldn’t ignore that his brothers frequently called to ask him how he was doing and whether or not there was progress in the Latin American branch of their company but it only felt like background noise to everything that he was experiencing each and every day.
On weekends or whenever either of the two had the chance to see one another, they would go to see some of the sights that Xochilt was always telling him about.
They had gone to Xochimilco where the canals were filled with numerous color boats and they had a blast when they invited others to join them, drinking and laughing together as the people made the ride more exciting. They had been to the Zocalo, where Ubbe had been intimidated by the various men that were dressed in what Xochilt said was the traditional garb of warriors before the Spaniards had come to colonize the country. The men were understanding that it was a bit much and both ruffled his hair while giving him a fist bump to acknowledge Ubbe doing his best to not be intimidated.
Ubbe and Xochilt had done and seen so much together, now in the middle of May they stood before the imposing structures of Teotihuacan. The pyramids according to Xochilt were those of the moon and sun where ceremonies used to take place but also where sacrifices tended to take place.
The trek to get to the temples was long and Ubbe already felt like giving up when he saw the size of the structures but after a lot of pep talking from Xochilt and realizing halfway that the distance between going back and going up was the same, they had made it to the top of temple of the moon.
It was a breathtaking sight around them as they stood there, both because Ubbe was absolutely exhausted after the arduous journey to get there and also because as he watched Xochilt smile in content when a cool breeze blew through her hair, his poor heart had skipped several beats.
“Te amo Xochilt.”
She turned to him startled, Ubbe felt as if his heart would beat out of his chest but he wouldn’t take it back. Perhaps they had only truly spent a few months together in person, but coupled with their adolescent friendship only solidified his feelings for her all the more.
“I know that I don’t have much time left in Mexico, but I need you to know how I feel and also, if you would possibly think about traveling with me back to Denmark.”
“Ubbe... as much as I would like to even think of the possibility, I can’t just leave my great grandmother behind to go with you.”
“We could bring her with us and with the branch of my company establishing itself better, we could come back more frequently if you’re ever feeling homesick.”
“Ubbe, I really can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked, “Is there something that I am missing?”
“Have you ever noticed how my Mama tends to ask you to repeat yourself at times or will sometimes forget if she’s done a task?”
“Yes...”
“She was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and we don’t know how much her memory will deteriorate but I can’t just leave her alone while she’s going through this Ubbe. She needs me, do you understand?”
“Yes, I do” as much as it crushed Ubbe, he would never do anything to possibly hurt Doña Consuelo.
“Can we still stay friends, Ubbe?”
He smiled softly and gently pulled her into a hug, “Always.”
October
While Xochilt was inside cooking lunch, Ubbe offered his help to Doña Consuelo to put the various linens and shirts to dry out on the clothesline. It was a slow and clumsy attempt as he struggled to pin the things onto the line, but the elderly woman appreciated it all the same as she calmly pointed out what he could do.
“Mi niño, stop what you are doing for a moment” the woman said.
Ubbe worried that he would be scolded for either his lack of speed or that he was doing the task incorrectly. The woman motioned for him to crouch down and in his haste to do so, slipped and fell in the process.
“Buena cosa que mi nieta didn’t fall in love with your grace,” the woman laughed a throaty chuckle.
“We’re simply friends Doña, nothing more.”
“Me crees pendeja? I didn’t have five children without knowing how men’s minds work and recognizing the signs of love when I see them” she said. “But I also know that neither you or Xochilt want to risk taking the first step.”
Ubbe smiled sadly, “That’s where you’re wrong Doña Consuelo, I already confessed to Consuelo but she already rejected me.”
“Both of you are so dumb, my grandaughter more so. Listen to me carefully, fight for this love because it’s precious” she told him softly, holding his hands in her own weathered palms. “The older you get like me, the more people you lose and all that you are left with are the recuerdos when they are gone.”
“But... I’m scared Doña,” Ubbe said softly. “What if I get my heart broken and despite what you say, Xochilt could turn me down once more and I wouldn’t want to push her to give me an answer that I want.”
“Matters of the heart are delicate, mî niño. I know that Xochilt is worried about me most when she answers you” said Doña Consuelo. “I have lived a long life and my memories get foggier everyday y un dîa no tendré recuerdos, but until then I want to see you both happy for as long as my memory allows.”
Ubbe clearly hesitated, but Doña Consuelo simply smiled at him and mouthed for him to go, gesturing toward her great granddaughter as she glanced at them from the open window.
4 Years Later
“Me da tanto gusto verte niña” her Uncle Alejandro greeted, happily wrapping Xochilt in a warm embrace. “I am grateful that you traveled all this way in your state to come and visit us.”
She laughed softly, “I am only pregnant tío, and the doctor gave me a check up to be sure that it would be okay to travel.”
Her uncle turned to Ubbe, “La cuidas muchacho. Her grandmother may not be with us, but I can scold you on her behalf.”
While Ubbe held onto their son Ragnar and was scolded by the older man, Xochilt carefully approached the small altar that had been placed in the middle of the room. The images of those they had lost through the years seemed to almost smile at her return. Every uncle, aunt, cousin, and even her parents. She knew each of them by name and knew who they were, even if she hadn’t known them very well in life.
Gingerly she kneeled to look at the newest addition to the altar and carefully picked up the frame of her great - grandmother, smiling at her the same way she had when given the news of another great - great grandchild soon to be born.
It had only been a few months since Doña Consuelo had passed and Xochilt still felt the dull ache of pain that she wouldn’t get to see her great - grandmother. But it was also a bitter sweet sentiment that she would have once a year in which the older woman would be able to come and visit, to see Xochilt’s children grow and learn more about her through the stories of her life.
“Hi Mama,” Xochilt greeted Doña Consuelo. “It’s been some time since I have talked to you, but gracias a Dios, Ubbe, Ragnar and I were able to come for a visit.”
Carefully Xochilt pulled out the bottle of tequila that she had brought as an offering and poured out a shot, setting it on the table of the altar. “Normally I would drink a shot with you, but at 6 months, I wouldn’t do that considering I want your great - great granddaughter to be healthy.”
Xochilt hadn't been pregnant with her second for very long when she told her great grandmother the news, sadly both her memory and health declined drastically after the exciting news. Doña Consuelo never had the chance to learn that she was to have a great great grandmother before she passed away.
"You know Mama, both Ubbe and I were talking about names recently but couldn't seem to come to an agreement. But on our plane ride here, we found a name that we liked very much" Xochilt chuckled as she wiped away her tears. "How do you feel about Consuelo being named after you?"
Despite obviously receiving no response, Xochilt couldn't help but imagine the old woman would have told her that her name wasn't that special and to choose a more traditional name for the baby before ultimately giving up to then smother her great granddaughter with all the affection she had always given her.
"I miss you so much everyday Mama, but I know that you will always be with me por que en mis recuerdos siempre estarás."
The Mental Tyrant by @bouncehousedemons in collaboration with @underragingwaves
Warnings: None for this snippet (for the overall story there will be quite a few)
Pairing: Ivar the Boneless x OFC (Bodil)
Banner by the incredibly talented @underragingwaves
Snippet:
“I know you can walk”, Bodil quipped.
“Yes, with my braces and my crutch”, Ivar said irritably.
“No, Ivar, you don’t need them!”
“What?!” Hvitserk interjected, “Ivar is a cripple and always has been.”
“It is all in your mind, Ivar”, Bodil continued, ignoring Hvitserk, “You can walk. You are held back by your own disbelief and the discouragement of…others.” She cast a glare towards Hvitserk on her final word.
“You think I can walk?” Ivar said, his expression soft, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Don’t listen to her!” Hvitserk said angrily, “She is mad. She was not there when your cries of pain kept us all awake when you were a baby.”
“Your mother wanted to hide your greatness from the world, Ivar” Bodil insisted, “I can help you unleash it. Only I appreciate you for who you really are.”
“You don’t know him!” Hvitserk shouted angrily, standing with such force his chair tipped backwards and clattered to the floor. “Leave. Before I make you.”
Bodil held up her hands in mock surrender, slowly standing and backing away. “If you want to walk, Ivar, come and find me. Or I’ll find you.” she said with a giggle before making her way back through the markets.
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Hi folks! We have officially arrived at the end of the second half of the releases for our Vikings Big Bang Winter '22 event.
Our writers and artists have worked so hard to give this fandom lovely new creations to admire! Of course, we want to thank and appreciate all of them once more.
We have already kept you updated on the entries in our first half through our first round-up post, but we also want to show off the entries of this second half as well!
Here are our entries for this final part:
Sleepy Mornings
Fic by @ritual-unions
Art by @mrgabel
Art by @underragingwaves
The Juniper Tree
Fic by @underragingwaves
Art by @vikingstrash
Art by @vikingcest (included in first chapter of fic on AO3!)
The Mental Tyrant
Fic by @bouncehousedemons
Art by @underragingwaves
Teeth Stained Red
Fic by @losermultifandomidiot
Art by @ivarthebadbitch
Warnings: Alternate Universe - Creature & Monsters, Violence, Graphic Description of Corpses, Blood and Gore, Animal Death (please heed the warnings if you are sensitive of any of this)
Word Count: 3k (2 chapters)
Summary:
Hvitserk had barely turned four when Aslaug had noticed her son was different. He slept less, his senses were sharper and he always complained that he was always hungry. It wasn’t till she found him with a corpse at his feet that she realized he was not human— but that wouldn’t stop her from loving him. He taught ways to curve his craving but it is not enough as he continues to grow. Kattegat flourishes during the spring and the influx of bodies is driving him to the edge– and there he meets Gæda.
This is my entry for the @vikingsbigbang Winter'22 event! Gifs were done by the glorious @ivarthebadbitch!
I struggled a bit to come up with an idea for this but I settle on something a little odd (as usual). Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!
Aaah! I'm so excited to share my creations for The Juniper Tree with you guys! It certainly inspired me to play around a little. Go read this awesome contribution to the @vikingsbigbang by @underragingwaves and dive into this beautiful story she wrote! You can find my art for her story below. (click on the images for better quality)
