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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Is anyone? From around Berk? If they were, I thought you would have...you know, mentioned it.

[ Although maybe he wouldn't have, since this is Hiccup and conversations are not always his forte. ]

There's a Welcome Center? That bodes well. [ sarcasm. ]

Nope. Just the three of us. [He gestures between them and Toothless. And that's always how it had been.]

Yeah, it was a bit more welcoming when...someone actually ran it. I think it's sort of defunct at the moment, but I think the housing list is still up to date. More or less.

[ Well. That's...not a surprise. It's still a little bit disappointing, although if she had to pick one person to be stuck with, he'd probably be it. ...Because he'd be the most likely to get them out, of course. ]

More or less? So there's a possibility we'll walk into an already occupied place looking for a house?

[uhuh sure astrid

likely story]

Maaaaaaybe. But we can...knock first?

[ this is why she isn't saying it out loud. EVEN SHE REALIZES THAT'S A TERRIBLE STORY. ]

...Yeah, okay. So are there not locks, or something?

On the insides. Sooooo hypothetically, someone wouldn't be able to lock it unless they were in there living, you know?

It just seems weird that there's not a lot of...anything. To getting a place to stay. You make it sound like you just walk in and [ she slaps her hands together (hatchet and all) here. ] there you have it.

Yeah, well...that's kind of how a lot of things work here. I guess it's supposed to make up for all the other stuff we have to go through. Experiments and the like.

Experiments. All any of your friends said was "weird stuff happens".

[ As in explain that further. ]

That's it, in a nutshell. It's soooort of hard to describe because they're also so different, but usually once a month, some sort of weird event happens to us. Sometimes changes happen to the environment - like all the ghosts that showed up last week. Oooor sometimes they happen to us ourselves. O-one time? I think I was a pirate's son.

[Yep. Just wait until you meet his pirate dad, Astrid. You'll love him. :|]

[ Jack Sparrow and Astrid Hofferson walk into a bar...

That can only end badly, Hiccup. ]

Experiments change who you are? [ That's said a bit more sharply, because obviously she heard that wrong. ]

Sometimes. [He suddenly sounds a bit somber, and Kyle pats him sympathetically on the crown of his head.] They mess with your heads and change how you act, or what you do. Iiiiiit's not the most pleasant experiences.

[Astrid need to never meet Suave Hiccup. Never.]

Something to look forward to, then. [ As a master of sarcasm, Hiccup probably should have recognized that for what it was.

She would never believe in Suave Hiccup. ]

Are we far from - wherever?

[He's like the Great Pumpkin. He will only materialize if you believe in him - and even then, it's sketchy.]

No, it's just a bit further. Look - [He points out over the trees, where tall apartment buildings are now visible.] Those are some of the buildings where people live here. There's houses, too.

[ Then Astrid isn't in any danger.

...Those are some tall buildings my word. ] That...

...looks different?

Yyyyyeah. They're...tall.

[Astute observational skills, this one.]

Just wait until you see the Battle Dome.

[ To the surprise of absolutely no one, the word "battle" catches Astrid's full attention immediately. ]

Battle Dome?

[Yeah, he really should have thought about that before. Come to think of it, she would love the Dome, wouldn't she?]

It's this place where people go to train and fight and get stronger. It's...kind of something you have to see to believe, but you can fight almost anything you can think of there.

[ For the first time since starting this conversation, Astrid looks decidedly...excited. Is it okay to actually eagerly anticipate something in crazyland? ]

Can we go there?

[Somehow, this reaction does not surprise him at all. Of course she'd want to go to the Battle Dome.]

Well, sure, but - I mean, don't you think you should get settled in a bit first? Find your clothes? Weapons? Food? Such essentials?

[ ...Stop being so practical, Hiccup.

Although he has. Several points... ]

Okay, so let's get through all of that as fast as we can, then!

[ Aaand we're walking faster. Keep up! ]

[Priorities, Astrid...your priorities...]

Errr...well, I guess there's nothing wrong with that.

[ Hey, she has a hatchet and a jacket now! ]

Oh. Unless you had something else to do, I guess. [ ...Actually, did he? She has no idea what he'd been up to when she'd gotten here. ]

N-not anything that needs my attention right now. I mean - you're here. That's - uh. Pretty big deal.

[Oh, and he was doing so well there for awhile.]

Uhh--s-so yeah, we'll just get you your stuff aaaand we can zip right over there!

[ ...Because that's not suspicious at all, Hiccup. ]

You do know it's okay if you had something else to do, right?

[ Well, depending on whatever it was he's fretting about right now, at least. ]

But yeah, sounds great.

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