#HOWEVER. I don’t like my boys being separated look at them LOOK AT FANGHOOK

[eemoo1o-tfrmoo]

bit of a hot take but gustav should've gotten torch the typhoomerang after torch hit that growth spurt

the only reason he had was given fanghook was because he was copying snotlout and it sealed his fate as recurring gag rather than realized character like stoik or gobber

In the books, the Monstrous Nightmares are said to be reserved for chiefs and sons-of-chiefs — the best of the best — and in the first movie this is repeated with:

“And then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. [They have this... nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.]”

(The use of “nasty habit” here makes it seem as bad as smoking (literally) or nose picking and I love that.)

In the books, that fact is beaten into us with how, a) Toothless isn’t a member of the chieftain’s preferred species, and b) Fireworm, Snotlout’s dragon, is. (And so is Hookfang, Stoick’s dragon in the books, partnered by the Gronckle Newtsbreath.)

So seeing as this “only the best Vikings go after [Monstrous Nightmares]” is set up in the franchise just as in the books (albeit never really spoken of again, there is a wonderful fanfiction about it, though), I think it’s quite poetic that Snotlout and his little brother Gustav both have Nightmares! They’re the best!

And who doesn’t have a Monstrous Nightmare that you’d expect to because “only the best Vikings” go for them?

Stoick certainly doesn’t. Nor does Gobber, or Dagur, or Heather, or even Spitelout!

(Sure there’s background characters just to fill a scene in HTTYD 2 and 3, but that’s that… oh, and there’s Sven but let’s just say he’s the best whiner and get it over with. YOU RUINED THE METAPHOR, SVEN-LY!)

I headcanon that Hiccup sees himself in Gustav a bit (Gustav is, after all, a hiccup, even if never explicitly stated in canon), and seeing as he couldn’t get a Night Fury, the Monstrous Nightmare being for “the best Vikings” was probably a good next choice… plus his idolisation of Snotlout (that RTTE kind of ruined) swayed his decision a bit, but that’s also because he was only “trained” in training a Nightmare, anyway!

And I love The Flight Stuff (Fanghook’s debut episode) because it’s so cute! B-plot with the twins is stupid, but look! Hookfang is good with kids! Cute!! The taming of Fanghook is also uncouth and unconventional, but that’s also Gustav to a T anyway!

I love their relationship, because Fanghook is so sweet and you could say that after Gustav is told to let him go but it’s revealed he doesn’t, it’s almost like forbidden friendship of sorts, huh? Huh?

Granted, he could have had that with Torch but what’s done is done. The boys ever are adorable.

In fact, as for the ‘copying Snotlout’ situation: I agree! That’s exactly why they did it. But it’s fun to think of metaphorically, annnd… he was also only thirteen! It’s just a throwaway line, but in @otwdfanfic’s fic Once There Were Dragons on AO3, Gustav says this (yes, I know it isn’t canon but it made me realise this), and Gustav’s whole story line is dedicated to the finding of Fanghook!

Cute cute cute. They love each other to bits.

TL;DR: I respect this HC but I’m a nerd who loves the “true bond / soul bond” shit and so I’m just digging my heels into the gravel and clinging onto the protein-filled-whatever with my teeth.

#this is an interesting take and I don’t wish to dispute it because I like the silly headcanon #HOWEVER. I don’t like my boys being separated look at them LOOK AT FANGHOOK #SON OF HOOKFANG (surrogated) #httyd #how to train your dragon #httyd books #monstrous nightmare #torch #fanghook #gustav larson #asks #anon asks #hot take #GASSSSP should I ask for hot takes #send me hot takes! #linked post #analysis #my analyses #wasn’t supposed to turn into this but here! mini analysis #thank you anon!!