homeless, but noisy.

[allofme]

So, you finally found the new stuff. Can't say it turned out all that bad! Not a bad story, either. Outsiders, new dragons, my Dad... Anyway-- Before you ask: No, I don't know what's up with Astrid, okay. It's... complicated, okay. We gotta work together, and ride together, and... yeah. Just let it go, okay? I can't figure out girls when I've gotta train a bunch of dragon riders and keep my dad and the village happy. Not enough hours in the day or sheep fat in the lamp, you know? I know I got a permanent dent where she punches me, but I don't know if that's just how she shows she cares, or what.

But, honestly? That, uh, tumblr thing? Hitting it up after to see what fans thought? Probably a bad idea. But guess that's never stopped either of us before, I guess. Especially not you. Don't ask me what's up with the white-haired kid, though. I got no idea.

Say... you're not getting any ideas, are you? Because I got a lot of stuff to do. I don't have time for this game business, you know? Besides, don't you have enough 'engineers' running around out there? I mean, I'm smart and all, but I won't be building laser yaks or anything like that! You're used to a much, uh, more advanced nerd than I am. I mean, we just discovered Thor throws lightening at metal, specifically.

Comments

[moontoldme]

[Well, color him mildly concerned.]

White-haired kid?

[allofme]

Yeah. Uh. White haired, kinda pale, about yey-tall... kinda has... all of that. [ There may be handwaving in Jack's general direction. ] Man, I finally get to gesture to all of somebody else for a change.

[moontoldme]

And that's an exciting opportunity for you?

[allofme]

Listen, get gestured to enough like you're a discarded fishbone or otherwise substandard, or even just-- not normal to the rest of the clan? The opportunity to do it to someone else is pretty novel.

...so, uh. What's with the hair?

[moontoldme]

I guess that's fair, although discarded fishbone is oddly specific.

Aw, come on, didn't you just say how you're a smart kid? I bet you can figure it out.

[allofme]

You're... a spirit? [ his face is all scrunched in thoughts. ] Because that's not hair that's found in mortals, you know. Even Sif's hair was supposed to be pure gold...and that's the color of the first frost.

[moontoldme]

[Heh.]

Not bad, kid. Not bad at all. I guess you are pretty smart.

[allofme]

Great. You can't be svartálfar, you're too tall and pale. Ljósálfar? You can't be jötunn, you're way too small.

[moontoldme]

Hmmm... If we're talking vikings here, it'd be Jokul Frosti.

[allofme]

Hey! I am totally viking! All this vikingness is amazingly potent! [ How could you not tell you were dealing with a Viking, Jack! Jeez, pay attention! Maybe the wild gesturing at all of this will help. Hiccup deals with a lot of gesturing, okay. ] I'm Hiccup, of the Hooligan tribe of Berk. Son of Stoick the Vast, and-- well, current head of the Dragon Training Academy.

[moontoldme]

Wow, somebody gets worked up easily. You might wanna keep that in check.

I'll admit, though, head of the Dragon Training Academy's got my interest. Care to share?

[allofme]

[ There is a briefly directed dirty look, Jack. Hiccup has to put up with a lot of crap as a scrawny wee viking. ]

Well, Berk used to have a lot of dragon problems. Now it has a lot of dragon friends.

[moontoldme]

[Doo doo, ignoring that look. Especially because this dragon business actually sounds pretty cool to him.]

Sounds impressive. And kind of crazy, I'll admit, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

So, if you're head of the Dragon Training Academy, I'm going to guess you're part of why these guys are friends now.

[allofme]

Yeah, well, crazy's sort of a Viking occupational hazard. Comes with the bloodline. [ His smile is easier now. ] Yeah, first Viking to not kill a dragon. Rode one instead.

[moontoldme]

Good point.

Riding a dragon... I like it. Sounds like a good time!

[allofme]

Only the best. There's nothing else like it. Wind in your hair, dragon under you-- if you're doing it right-- you're an extension of each other. Gotta communicate, gotta trust, gotta bond.

It's complicated, but totally worth it.

[ His conviction is near religious and his joy at the thought of flight is palpable. ]

[moontoldme]

[Jack's smile softens into something less of a smirk. It does sound amazing, the way Hiccup puts it. Amazing and, of course, fun.]

That sounds great. I'm impressed, honestly. You've obviously got a passion for it.

[allofme]

I better, or all those other riders-- well. What kind of teacher will I be if I don't know what I'm talking about?

[ He whistles sharply. ]

Hey buddy! Come on down, and say hi to Frosti!

[ Warning Jack, incoming Night Fury, who will bound over to where-ever he was lazing. ]

[moontoldme]

Woah! [He's surprised by the dragon, but lets out a chuckle.] Hello there, big guy. Aren't you a cool-looking guy?

[allofme]

[ Toothless ambles over, but doesn't go too far from Hiccup. ]

Toothless, Jokul Frosti. Jokul Frosti, Toothless.

[moontoldme]

Ha, a pleasure, Toothless. Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you...

[allofme]

Just -- put your hand out. He'll decide if he'll touch you or not.

[ Toothless sniffs the air. You smell like scales-fall-off cold, Jack. Not sure if want. ]

[moontoldme]

[It's not like he can help that. Hesitantly, because rejection from anyone's company is a downer to say the least, he sticks his hand out.]

Like this?

[allofme]

Yeah.

[ Don't worry, the fact that you're willing to listen goes miles with both boy (who hates being ignored, especially when he knows something) and dragon (who just wants to handle things on his terms). ]

[ A moment later there's a puff of warm breath and a leather nose nudging at Jack's palm. ]]

See? There you go. You're properly introduced.

[moontoldme]

[Jack can't stop his eyes from going a bit wider with surprise at that, but he smiles and gives Toothless's nose a careful pat.]

Thanks... Both of you. I mean, really, this is new even for me.

[allofme]

[ Toothless wiggles in place a bit, and then sits, foreclaws turned in, toes, curling. He trills and rumbles, and Hiccup finally gets up from his seat and heads over, gait still unsteady after losing a good part of his leg. ]

No dragons in Castle Frosti? Man, to think we have something a prince of the wind doesn't have.

[moontoldme]

Yeah, I can't say...

[But he trails off, eyebrows raised, when he sees Hiccup's replacement foot.]

Oh.

[allofme]

[ Hiccup blinks as Jack trails off, and then looks down. Oh. Yeah, that. He just shrugs. ]

Yeah, uh. Vikings. Dangerous life style, you know. But we match, don't we Toothless?

[ Toothless glances over, before he lifts his tail, and flicks it so the red prosthetic is displayed. ]

[moontoldme]

Mmm, that's true.

[But God, Hiccup, you're just a kid. It's kind of weird for him to see that. Toothless's tail prosthetic distracts him, though.]

You make that, mister less-advanced-sort-of-nerd?

[allofme]

[ Hey he's-- 13 to 15, tumblr was totally arguing about it today. Not that much younger than you when you kicked it, Jack. ]

Oh yeah. And the saddle and pulley system that works with it so we can fly, and another version that he won't wear because then he can fly alone and he apparently thinks that's cheati--iiaow!

[ He gets tailswatted for this and holds the back of his head. ]

Though if we want to be technical, that's the one Gobber made to replace the one I made when it goes fried by Big Green Death in Dragon Island.

[moontoldme]

[Jack would argue that that was 300 years ago and all.

But he's busy laughing at your dragony punishment, Hiccup.]

Well, that's definitely something to your name. Now, what's a Big Green Death? That another dragon?

[allofme]

[ Potatoes, potahtoes. You were a kid once and terrible things happen to kids. Things that should never happen to kids. But it does anyway. But that's why there are guardians, right? ]

A dragon the size of... uh, well. Most of this island, if we wanna be technical. That's what it was the Big Green Death. Vikings aren't really one for flowery names and stuff.

But it's dead, and it only cost a leg, which is pretty cheap all things considered. I mean, Gobber's got a hand and a leg messing and those dragons were way less dangerous. I got off pretty easy considering just how crazy that was.

Right, Toothless?

[ Toothless is less than enthused about this; dragon guilt, maybe. But he chirrs and nudges Hiccup anyway, and settles back down. No more tailwhapping. ]

Anyway. Enough talk of, you know, slaying. We don't do that here anymore. Whole new Viking age and all.

What we do is fly. You're the son of the wind, right? [ Or so the legends go. ] You've gotta be able to fly.

[moontoldme]

[Exactly.]

Yeah, I gotta say, it sounds like you came out on top there, considering you're not dead. But... [He notices that Toothless has quieted down. That, plus Hiccup changing the subject... Yeah, good time to move on.]

I'm not the son of the wind, but we're definitely close. Of course I can fly.

[allofme]

[ Hiccup glances to Toothless and there's some sort of dragon-rider body-language thing going on here, because then both look at Jack. ]

Wanna race?

[moontoldme]

Oh, you're on.

[allofme]

[ Hiccup grins and Toothless wiggles again, this time in anticipation. ]

C'mon, I'll show you where the arena is. Ship's not in the harbor, but the rest of the flags for Thawfest should still be up.

[moontoldme]

Awesome. Let's go!

[And he's following!]

[allofme]

[ It's not a far jaunt up the trail, around the rocks, yadda yadda. The place would've once been soaked with fear and pain and death-- ]

[ But with the new shield hanging over it with Hiccup's dragon on it, and equipment for learning and the pungent and permanent stink of napalm and fish (mmm yummy) it's become a weird little haven for the young and their dragons. ]

Lemme grab my spare saddle... C'mon, boy. Don't keep a frost-prince waiting.

[ Toothless is eager for a challenge and quick to go still for his barding. The flat, slender saddle is put on quick and easy, and a pulley array set up between tail and stirrup. It's all very not that advanced but face it for them it's like a Ford engine. ]

Right. Right up those those cliffs is a good starting point-- [ and he won't make anybody climb them because that really sucked. Even if people weren't throwing rocks this time, it would still be lame. ]

[myownhand]

...Laser yaks?


[Yup. That's what she got out of that entire mess.]

[allofme]

Yeah. You know. Yaks. With... lasers. Beams of light, coming out of their eyes.

[myownhand]

[A quick explanation from the mun to the muse. give her a minute.]

... Not that I know a lot on th'subject, but that doesn't really seem all that useful.

At least not in a game.

[allofme]

I don't think much that other guy in her head makes is really all that useful, so... that's sort of why I brought up laser yaks.

I prefer things like saddles and pulleys and... useful stuff.

[myownhand]

Well, all I'll need is my bow and arrow and I should be fine. [TECHNOLOGY. WHAT IS THAT AND CAN YOU EAT IT WITH KETCHUP.] And from what it sounds like, your mun's got a bunch of inventors up in there with you.

[allofme]

Bow and arrows are good. Crossbow will certainly have more power and punch...

[ Girls with weapons? Astrid hurls axes this is no big thing. ]

[myownhand]

Crossbows are a bit impersonal though, at least in my opinion. It's much more satisfyin' t'shoot it by hand.

[allofme]

Ehh, it's a fight, I don't want it to get too personal. Then it gets a little less safe and a lot more crazy. [ People with something to prove get a little... mad about the edges. Even Hiccup himself. ]