berkian | one axe.

[ It's been about a day and a half since Astrid woke up here, and she's pretty certain she has enough information to actually make a move. ...And if she doesn't, well, screw it because she's not sticking around in the woods in a flimsy white dress reading from a magical book for any longer than she has been.

The book talks and writes and shows pictures (that one had nearly knocked her out of the tree she's taken up residence in for the moment) and Astrid's pretty certain she can figure out how to make it work in her favour. She's just not sure exactly what the hell is going on, even after reading or listening to the most recent things available to her.

The last three entries or so were useless (...if only she'd read back just a bit further, and overall she's given up deciphering the meaning of the magical words in the magical book and is going to take a leap of faith and just...ask. Admittedly she's been spending a lot of time just working up the nerve to use the mystery magical book, but, well, what other options are there? She's far enough out in the woods that wandering off would probably end badly. ]

Hello? Is this thing working? How are you supposed to be able to tell? [ Magical books are pretty new to her. There's a frustrated little sigh. Following the sigh is muttering, meant to be under her breath but still audible, because controlling her voice is the least of Astrid's worries. ] This is the sort of thing Hiccup or Fishlegs would like, not me. I don't even know if this is actually something that works or if I've officially lost it. Next thing you know I'll be thinking I'm a dragon, living on the edges of town hunting sheep. That's always assuming I have officially lost it, which would explain a lot more than being sane would. I'm sitting in a tree with a makeshift spear. That's probably not the best sign for sanity.

Unless you can't find your axe, in which case making a spear is pretty sane a choice. I mean, it'd be less sane to sit in a tree without any sort of weapon, right?

Why am I even talking to myself about this? This is ridiculous. How does this ever help him?

...Whatever, if it isn't working or real, I guess I'll figure it out in a minute or two.

[ Raising her voice again. ] My name is Astrid Hofferson. I'd appreciate any directions you could give me to... [ distinct hesitation. She's...not totally sure what's happening still, but she's pretty certain "Berk" is out of the question for just now, and so she'll shelve that until she has enough on her side to worry about it. ] ...Whatever village is nearest, I guess.

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Oh, I'm Bolin.

And that means you know somebody who's already here, right? That's good, other than the being stuck here part.

[Yeah. G-got it. That makes sense.

It'd really help if he could get his logical side in on this. But nope. He's still freaking out, mostly.]

Ch-check. I'm - on my way.

[Hope...fully. The forest is big. But with a dragons-eye view it can't be too hard, right?]

Ace? He's my friend, um - why?

Astrid. [ She said that already, but. She supposes Bolin sounds like he's trying to be helpful.

And wow, Hiccup hasn't gotten to that part, yet. ]

Being stuck here?

You won't need one right now! Unless you see a bear or a vampire or something. Otherwise, everyone here just gets along! [He'd warn her about a giant wolf god too, but... yeah. Bad feels.]

We made friends! He actually works at the smithy and he was already good friends with my best friend Sokka! Oh, I should explain the different world thing to you first.

[ Shouldn't be too hard, especially since she's got some idea of what would be visible from a dragons-eye view. She'll try to give a bit more description. ] Looks like there's a mountain range to my left. That help?

[ SUSPICIOUS TONE. ] I don't know anyone named Ace. Are you hiding people in the forest now, or something? [ is this going to be a trend, Hiccup ]

What.

[ Just.

To all of that.

In general. ]

Do you plan on making sense anytime soon?

[ She's not questioning something weird is going on, but stop referencing things she just doesn't get, Aang. ]

[This... seems to be one person in no need of Toph's manliness lessons.]

That's what I'm trying to! Make. Sense, that is. People here... we're all from different worlds, but we get brought here for no reason! And this place we're kept in is called Luceti, but it's kinda peaceful here most of the time!

[Pause]

Hiccup and Sokka work at the smithy, a-and Winry too.

[ Continued what. Give her a second. There might be an exasperated sigh. ]

Right.

[ She's...going to focus on the one point that makes any sense. ] Most of the time isn't all of the time. I feel naked without my axe.

[The mountains are to her left. Okay, that does narrow it down, at least.]

Got it. Toothless might be able to catch your scent, too - assuming you, you know. Smell the same.

[smooth operator]

Yyyyyeah, this is where things get a little...weird. And by a little? I mean really a lot. He's from somewhere that's...very much not Berk.

I'm sorry that you feel like you're naked. But right now isn't all of the time either. I'm sure your, uh, axe, can turn up somewhere in the village. That's one of the weird things that happens here.

What exactly do you think I did between the day before yesterday and today? I think we can safely assume I smell like I always smell.

[ Well, there are places other than Berk, obviously. They just...never have much to do with those.

The suspicious tone is going snappy now. ]

So you've been taking trips without telling anyone?

[ apparently we are assuming the worst. >8| ]

Yeah... We're all kind of stuck here. People from a lot of different worlds.

Were you actually being serious about "different worlds"?

[ If he was, she'll...feel a little contrite for dismissing him. She has wings, it's...not totally out there.

Except it is. ]

How can we be stuck here?

[ What's stopping anyone from. You know. Walking somewhere new? ]

I am. I mean... Do I look like anyone who'd exist on your world? And the world we're on now... It's different from the worlds all of us come from. I know it's hard to believe. And it's a lot to take in. But everyone believes, eventually. Because that's the truth of this situation we're stuck in.

[WAIT.

SHE GOT HERE YESTERDAY?

Astrid has been hanging around Luceti since yesterday and he didn't even know? He could even help her??

Sure, he's not omniscient and she hadn't said anything but still. He feels like he should have known somehow. Oh man. That is not helping things.]

Youuu could, uh, put it like that.

...

Except no, not really. Noooot like that at all. But I have been somewhere different for awhile? Here, specifically.

[ Look, Hiccup, maybe SOME of us would use the weird journal thing the instant we arrived. OTHERS might be rightfully paranoid about magical talking journals.

He's lucky she got over her paranoia this quickly. ]

How long is "a while"?

[ Her voice got notably less hostile at that. As long as he's not haring off on things without saying something. Crazy plans are supposed to be inclusive! ]

[ ...

Well he is pretty much the opposite of what a viking should look like, but so is Hiccup for the most part. She'd just been assuming Hiccup found some tribe of viking outcasts somewhere, because...Hiccup. ]

Do you have...you know.

[ wings. ]

[...Well, touche.

He hesitates over the question, because he knows she isn't going to like the answer he's about to give. Or - scratch that. She won't even believe it. Because she probably just saw him, and let's face it. It's ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense.]

It's...been over a year and a half now.

Wings? Yeah! Everyone here gets 'em! But they can't fly or anything. You just gotta be careful, because they keep us alive here.

[ You can probably hear the effort it's taking not to ask exactly how crazy he is and how hard that axe hit his head.

But.

She has wings. There are random people claiming to be friends with Hiccup who seem to actually know things about him.

She has wings. ]

That's... [ crazy insane impossible stupid

Astrid doesn't really ramble when she's not sure what to say. So there's finally just a huff and a terse reply. ]

Will you just hurry up?

Wings. Are keeping me alive.

[ srsly? ]

...Sure, why not. [ Clearly sense was left behind in Berk, anyway. ]

[Well? On the bright side, she doesn't call him crazy.

But there's probably a lot of things she wants to ask now - things she know will be better to hear in person. He remembers how it was. The onslaught of weirdness and not being sure when it's clear what's actually happening.]

Y-yeah. I'll be there soon. I promise.

Right! I should probably tell you about the Malnosso next. They're scientists, and they're not responsible for bringing us here, but they do keep us stuck in this area called Luceti with a big shield.

[ It's a pretty near thing.

Also she's not sure she's not the crazy one, so uh.

Astrid doesn't respond to the last message, just sort of. Sitting on knocked-over tree fairly near the mountain range base, in an area that should be clear enough for overhead visuals. She'll go read over the last few entries again, and will talk to Hiccups mysterious friends.

A year and a half? ]

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