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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

[ ...

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. ]

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

Wings. Are keeping me alive.

[ srsly? ]

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

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.

[ ...Yeah, she's picturing a shield as in. A round bit of metal or wood. ]

A...big shield?

Y-yeah. One made of energy. So you gotta make sure you know where it is if you're flying a dragon around or anything.

I...don't know where my dragon is.

[ Aaaaand we're back from civil to terse.

Not because she's upset at Aang, just at. Not knowing where Stormfly is currently. ]

I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I thought since you knew Hiccup, you'd have a dragon too. B-but the thing is... your animal isn't always brought to the world with you. At least not at the same time as you. Maybe... Your dragon can still show up.

I do. She wasn't here when I woke up.

[ The other day. Because, you know. Paranoia about magical journals.

Stormfly should be around here somewhere...just. Not where Astrid is, currently. ]

Then she might not be here yet. She could still be safe at home. [Assuming home was safe. But what he had heard from Hiccup was enough to convince him they were in peacetimes.] But if she is somewhere in here, she should be safe, too. There isn't much here to threaten dragons.

[ Well, there are minor worries because they're Vikings and choose really great sarcasm, sarcasm places to live. But. ]

So no vikings, then.

[He heard a little bit about the whole Viking-dragon war, but Astrid's response confuses him somewhat as to how the Vikings are with the dragons in her time.]

N-no, just Hiccup. But... You're a Viking too, aren't you?

[ Well, Berk is pretty much the only dragon-friendly viking place. It's a Thing. ]

Yes, I am. Why?

Because Hiccup told me the vikings and the dragons didn't always get along. But if you're a Viking and you have a dragon, you gotta be when you're friends, right?

That's how it is in Berk. But not everyone's...happy about that.

[ They haven't made any problems, yet, but. Paranoia. ]

And not all vikings are from Berk.

Oh, so... so it's still working out and not everywhere. But it sounds like a start. And I'm glad for that.

My parents, my grandparents, their grandparents - this isn't a war that just started recently. So it's a work in progress.

But I'm pretty sure we can work it out.

I... I know what it's like. It can be hard for some to learn from the past's mistakes and start making the world better. But if they can start making those steps, it'll be worth it. So... what is your dragon like, anyway?

Stormfly? She's smart. Wakes up before me every morning just to get right up to my window. She's not as curious as some of the others, but she's...confident. I like that.

Confidence, is good and smartness is good and being there for you is good! I think I like Stormfly already, like I already like Toothless. I have a big ol' companion myself, but he's a sky bison named Appa.