berkian | one axe.

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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[That's a very important question to ask, and one where everything else begins to fall out. Why was he still here? Who was keeping them here, and why? These were the ugly questions, and there was no easy way to put the answers - especially for someone like him who has earned an F in the effective communication class.

He tries to not look to concerned, and he's mildly successful. One part of him is wildly elated that she's here, but there's another, more logical part that nags him about just how bad it can be to be here.

Sure, it hasn't been too bad for him, all things considered. But it wasn't that way for everyone. What if Astrid...?

Right, no - he's getting ahead of himself in worry. He just has to focus on answering her questions for now, and helping her get settled. If she was as 'lucky' as him, she could be here for awhile.]

We can't go home. We're trapped. It's...kind of a long story. Look - they have places here where we can find our stuff. Clothes. Oh - and here. [He pulls the jacket from his bag...as well as the hatchet, holding them out for her.] We'll walk, and I'll explain. Ooor at least try to.

[ Finally! Astrid takes the jacket and shrugs it on - she assumes it belongs to Hiccup, but can't be sure - and then accepts the hatchet, swinging it once or twice. Not at Hiccup, but just. Getting a feel for it.

She looks markedly happier with a weapon in her hands. That feels right. Even if nothing else makes sense, a weapon always does.

So Hiccup wins a grin, although Astrid slugs him in the arm again. At least this time it is the other arm. Matching bruises! ] This is the sort of thing you give to me first, you know?

[ Then, without completely thinking it through, she yanks on Hiccup's shirt, hauling him over to kiss him. It's sort of par for the course with her; physical affection is somewhere between painful or randomly actually the opposite of that, and they tend to happen pretty close together. Without warning. Or asking.

...Except then she remembers one and a half years and not being here, and they'd never actually talked about things back home to begin with, and for once Astrid's left feeling a little bit awkward. One and a half years is a long time, and there's...not really any reason for him to be in the same sort-of place where she randomly accosts him.

So she lets him go immediately after, and steps back. ]

So...thanks. For the hatchet. [ Okay they're walking now, right? She'll just focus on playing around with her new toy some more, throwing it up to catch it once or twice.

Hopefully walking in the direction she spotted them flying in from is the correct choice, otherwise striding off purposefully will be less effective. ]

[He has only a moment to be thankful that she didn't hit him with the axe before she drags him and puts a kiss on his lips. It's familiar and refreshing all at once, like something he'd forgotten but enjoyed again like it was new.

A year and a half. A year and a half, and he still hasn't met anyone who made him feel like that.

And then she backs off in an instant, thanking him, but he barely hears it. He just stands for a moment, dazed and confused and elated all at once.]

[And then Toothless gives him a harsh nudge in the back of the legs. Get a move on, moron! Hiccup wakes up from his momentary trance to realize that Astrid is already making her way back in the direction they came from.

He scrambles to catch up with her, and Toothless follows.]

So--soooo. Ah. Y-you're welcome. F-for the hatchet.

The balance is spot-on. Did you make this?

[ Because Hiccup clearly wants to converse about hatchets right now, right?

But yeah. ]

So we're stuck here. But we can find our stuff. ...And do...what, exactly?

[Y-yeah, tooootally what he wanted to talk about. It's an easy question to answer, at least.]

Yeah, I did. I make a lot of things.

[That sounded a lot more cryptic than he intended. Well.]

We...live here. They give us everything we need, so people don't even have to work unless they want to. That's why I'm at the smithy.

[ Now she's tossing it from hand to hand as they walk, just. Staying in motion. It's something of a nervous tic. ]

The craftsmanship is good. [ She couldn't say she knows how to make weapons, but Astrid does know how to use them. And judge them.

Okay yeah she should stop talking about her shiny new toy. ]

...So they give us houses? [ That's weird. ] Why would you take someone and feed, clothe, and house them?

[ The idea of not having to work obviously doesn't sit well with her, and she nods, briefly. It's impossible not to imagine Hiccup in some sort of smithy anyway. ] If you don't work, what would you be doing?

[He isn't surprised when the questions start up again, even if talking about the hatchet was a nice, minute distraction. It's nice to have her approval, even if it's a small thing.]

It's because we're...prisoners, Astrid. We're prisoners. They run experiments on us, make us fight sometimes - and that's why they give us stuff we need to live comfortably. Payback, I guess.

[Or maybe it was just more convenient for the Malnosso that way.]

A lot of people train, or just...spend time with other people. There's a school. Lots of places to explore...but the village itself isn't too big.

[ She's starting to feel more claustrophobic with every word. Berk isn't big, but...

It's frustrating. Not just the way he said they were prisoners, like there's no escape - and he's been here so long, he'd know, wouldn't he? Hiccup isn't any good with fighting in Astrid's mind (save with Toothless) but he is good at figuring things out. He's the crazy plan maker. That's his thing. It's not her thing.

And surely he'd tried, right? ]

So you've been here for a year and a half. Spending time with people. And going to school.

[ And being experimented on. And being made to fight? That's...the exact opposite of your skillset. Although Hiccup doesn't seem to have lost any further limbs, at least. ]

That...pretty much sums it up.

[Plus a few details, terrifying fights, losing Toothless once...but it could have been worse. It was, for most people. And he was always grateful for that.]

I-it's not so bad, really. The people here are nice, a-and you can learn magic - nooooot that I have. But, um, I've been training another dragon? Aaand...there were just a bunch of ghosts in town...

Another dragon? [ Eyebrows are going up, now. ] Toothless doesn't mind?

[ ...wait what. ]

Ghosts?

[A slight grin.] Noooo, actually, the two of them make quite the pair.

[In making terrible mischief for Hiccup.]

Yyyyyyeah. Ghosts. Just...one more crazy thing to add to the pile.

[ ...Where does he even find all these dragons. She hasn't seen any sign of dragons. Is he a magnet of some sort? ] There are dragons here? Besides Toothless, I mean. And...the other one.

[ Ghosts. Okay then. ]

So besides time loops that make no sense, magic-sciencey people called the Malnosso who experiment on people, ghosts, forced fighting, and being trapped, what am I missing?

Only...a few. I mean - technically, Kyle isn't a regular dragon, she's a Pokemon, and - thaaaaat isn't going to mean anything to you yet.

[But, that's as good a segue as any to explain the whole 'multiple worlds' thing.]

Everyone here is just as trapped as we are, but they're not all like us. You probably already figured that out, but...everyone here is from different worlds. Like - not anywhere in the same world as Berk.

[ Colour Astrid surprised he didn't talk about the dragons longer. ]

...Other worlds. [ Well, it had been...mentioned. But. Okay. She can handle this; she's a viking, she can handle this! Although those two things seem way too unrelated right now. ]

The dragons that are here - is Stormfly...?

[He shakes his head.]

N-no, but that doesn't mean she won't show up here. Creatures usually don't until the people they belong to do. Toothless showed up a few days after I did.

...Kyle?

[ Belated, because distracted, but wow seriously Hiccup? That's what you named a dragon? ]

Yeah. Want to meet her?

[Yeah. "Her".]

You named a female dragon Kyle?

[ Really, Hiccup?

But Astrid does nod. ] Yeah. Is she...wherever you're staying at?

[He quirks a grin.] Actually...she's right here.

[And he sticks a hand in the pocket of his coat, pulling out a small red and white ball.]

[ Yep, he's just getting a blank stare.

Did you make up an imaginary friend or something? ]

...It's a ball. [ How...nice? ]

Yes. Ahh -

[Right. That was probably...not the most effective way to introduce that. He presses the button on the front of the ball so it expands in his hand before speaking a command and throwing the ball on the ground.]

Come on out, Kyle!

[And when the ball hits the ground, a small dragon-like creature appears in a red light.]

[ How the hell did that ball thing get bigger - oh, now he's throwing it. Riiiight.

...

lakrjlskjtawt what just happened? You know, when things appear out of nowhere, it makes Astrid anxious. Hiccup's lucky he's...himself, although the hatchet is at the ready before she forces herself to relax. ]

I thought you said you didn't learn magic!

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