http://i-saw-myself.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
i-saw-myself.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
trans_92011-09-20 03:17 am
i-saw-myself.livejournal.com) wrote in trans_92011-09-20 03:17 am
Entry tags:
Substitute Teacher [Locked to Astrid]
Initially, it had seemed like a good idea. At first. But it had been much better on paper than in practice. With Zuko and himself no longer on speaking terms (over what Hiccup considered a completely ridiculous matter), Hiccup had no one to train with. His first logical thought was, of course, to seek out a replacement by training with Astrid.
While the levels of pain and strenuous physical activity were the same, there were several problems with this arrangement that he hadn't considered, however.
1) Astrid's style of fighting was all she knew how to teach and while it suited her perfectly, it wasn't really well-suited to Hiccup. Zuko knew how to teach Hiccup to work through his weaknesses and play to his strengths.
2) Astrid seemed to think that repeatedly throwing Hiccup on his butt would teach him how not to get thrown on his butt, when he really needed to be taught how not to get thrown on his butt while getting thrown on his butt.
And 3) It was really, really much easier to become distracted by certain...things while training with Astrid. Like how her body arched right before she did a back handspring and kicked him in the chest. Things like that tended to make him forget to dodge like he was supposed to (and sometimes he even forgot to breathe). He had no idea what to do about it, either. There was no way he could stop equating Astrid flipping around and using brute force with blistering hotness in his head, given her capacity for it was one of the things he found attractive about her. It really didn't help that she'd stripped off the spiky overskirt and shoulder guards and looked a lot curvier for it, either.
After about the fiftieth time of being knocked in the dirt, upside down against a tree, Hiccup said mournfully, with a slight pout, "It's just not the same getting beaten up by you."
While the levels of pain and strenuous physical activity were the same, there were several problems with this arrangement that he hadn't considered, however.
1) Astrid's style of fighting was all she knew how to teach and while it suited her perfectly, it wasn't really well-suited to Hiccup. Zuko knew how to teach Hiccup to work through his weaknesses and play to his strengths.
2) Astrid seemed to think that repeatedly throwing Hiccup on his butt would teach him how not to get thrown on his butt, when he really needed to be taught how not to get thrown on his butt while getting thrown on his butt.
And 3) It was really, really much easier to become distracted by certain...things while training with Astrid. Like how her body arched right before she did a back handspring and kicked him in the chest. Things like that tended to make him forget to dodge like he was supposed to (and sometimes he even forgot to breathe). He had no idea what to do about it, either. There was no way he could stop equating Astrid flipping around and using brute force with blistering hotness in his head, given her capacity for it was one of the things he found attractive about her. It really didn't help that she'd stripped off the spiky overskirt and shoulder guards and looked a lot curvier for it, either.
After about the fiftieth time of being knocked in the dirt, upside down against a tree, Hiccup said mournfully, with a slight pout, "It's just not the same getting beaten up by you."
no subject
She sighed, not able to hide some frustration. "Still, I was beginning to wonder if this was helping at all..." Apparently, training in this way together just wasn't working out as much as they would have liked. Sure, the teens had great chemistry when it came to something other than... this.
no subject
"It's helping by at least letting me realize how I need things to be to learn. You're a great fighter, and to someone else, I think you'd be a great teacher. But I've always been one inch short of hopeless with this stuff. I think the problem is you're so naturally good at it that it's not easy to get someone who's really bad at it to understand."
He went a little pink, but grinned despite it.
"And I'm pretty sure I'm never going to focus well when you're flipping around being all...competent."
It was too easy to zone out and just admire her...uh, skill. Yeah.
Letting go of her hands, he sat down on a nearby tree stump.
"I just don't think this is going to work."
Which was frustrating. Astrid was actually pretty good at teaching--he was just so bad at learning that it wasn't going to work out. If Zuko wouldn't teach him and she couldn't teach him, then who else actually could? He was pretty sure the other people advertising lessons would probably sweep the floor with him.
no subject
However, the smile faded when she noticed Hiccup's frustration and, unsure how to approach the subject, she fell silent, thinking. She wouldn't lie; it was kind of awkward getting involved in a boy's dispute.
Finally, she just shrugged. "You could, I don't know, try talking to the prince again. Compromise or... whatever. Even he would have to agree it'd be a shame to not continue and let all that training become meaningless."
no subject
"I hate how I am with people sometimes. Sometimes I can figured them out perfectly, but other times, I'm hopeless at it."
He looked over at her.
"I wish more people were like you. You say what you mean, mean what you say, and punch me in the shoulder whenever I'm messing up."