This came about today as I was baking pretzels - they were in a can, not like make dough and roll it out. And turns out, our oven is broken. So when I set the temperature for 400 it was actually at 475 - so the pretzels were both burnt, and raw. So it is possible. They turned out okay, I mean, I ate one.

I own nothing, as always. Expect the experience.

X

Title: Biscuits

Astrid had followed the instructions. She mashed the grain into fine flour. She beat the eggs before adding them. But…something wasn't right. The dough was too sticky and tough. It didn't want to roll out or be in any other shape other than a glob. Remembering the advice to not knead the dough too much or it would be tough, she threw the shapeless globs over the fire.

She waited by it, patiently, watching the gray-white dough expand and lose its sticky-dough complexion. But the globs were still globs, she sighed aloud. And should the glob be browning? Or yellowing at least? They were still paste-white.

Astrid sighed again, this time letting out more of a defeated irritation. The bottoms were darkening, burning. But the tops still looked as they had, although less sticky. She removed them from the fire and set them to cool. They looked…not good.

This was her first attempt to bake by herself. It was never something she had been interesting in growing up. Most other girls had, from their mothers, or aunts, or from whoever. But not Astrid. She had been fighting, learning to toughen herself not how to not-toughen bread dough. She learned where to strike and enemy for a quick death, and how to spot weaknesses and armor flaws. While other girls were picking up how to bake bread, how to keep herbs growing in the cold weather, how to strip fish and how to prepare the meat, what to do with all the other bits of animals that they didn't eat, how to get mud out of wool, how much water to add to stew, when to add more and when to add less, and little things that Astrid didn't have the time or care to think about.

She and Hiccup had been married less than a month and all she has done is prove how worthless she is to have in the home. These biscuits are just another addition. She dared to touch one, and finding it just warm she pulled a chunk out of it. The bottoms were burnt, like she thought, but the insides were mushy, and texture disgusting. She couldn't swallow the bite she'd taken went to the window to spit it out. She tossed the chunk out with it.

Sighing, she leaned onto the window's sill. She'd have to throw them all out.

There was a sudden commotion from the skies, and Toothless landed with his known quickness. Hiccup was off the saddle and through the door before the dragon's wings stopped moving.

"Bad morning?" Astrid asked. Hiccup looked flustered, his face twisting as if he was thinking about a multitude of things.

"I wouldn't call it bad, just busy." Hiccup shrugged. He paused, and his green eyes fell onto the biscuits on the table. He reached for one. "I don't know how my dad does it. There's always something. Something's on fire, or been on fire, needs repaired, someone's fighting, someone stole something, someone need somethings. It never ends."

"Oh, don't, they're terrible." Astrid warned.

Hiccup turned the biscuit over in his hand.

"They don't look that bad." Hiccup said, bringing it up his mouth.

Astrid reached out to stop him from biting down but wasn't fast enough. The reaction was immediate. Hiccup paused, looked down at the biscuit, then quickly at Astrid. He chewed, although she could see in his eyes that it wasn't enjoyable. He swallowed and then cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry." Astrid said. She couldn't eat that tiny bite that she'd pulled off. She knew he ate it because he didn't want to spit it out in front of her. "I know they're gross."

"Eh, it's not that bad." Hiccup shrugged, the high-pitched lie in his voice too obvious. "You know, once you get past the whole burnt and raw thing."

He took another bite, this time trying his best to pretend that nothing was wrong. Astrid laughed, stepping closer to wrap her arms around his waist and buried her head into his shoulder. The hand that wasn't holding the raw/burnt biscuit came around her shoulders. She felt a kiss on her head, and smiled into the leather on his neck.

"I love you." Astrid muffled.

"I love you, too." Hiccup said. Was he laughing?

He was, and it was a marvelous sound.