Lightning and death (open)

[no_eels]

Who: Toothless, and you
When: Day 147
Where: The corridors. Or realistically, anywhere.
What: A Nightfury has arrived in the Science Center!


He goes to sleep next to Hiccup's bed, but that's not where he awakens.

The bed is empty, for one thing, and an unnatural shade of white that reminds him of sheep wool cleaned by rain. So does the rest of the room, for that matter. He stares at it for only a moment before scouring the room for scents. Toothless finds none, aside from his, and starts to paw at the tiny little door. Everything about this room bothers him. It's not right. And why are the ceilings so tiny?

It takes some doing to get past the door. Mostly, to open it, as the door seems to be wider than other doors he encounters. His folded wingspan fits easily enough. This he finds out shortly after escaping, rushing out into the space beyond and taking a sharp look up and down the corridor.

All of this sheep-white is going to make him hungry, soon. But the Nightfury's usual appetite is cut by confusion. Where's Hiccup? Where's anyone? How did they move him while he was unaware? Why does the little black box tucked into his saddle sometimes chirp at him?

Green eyes wide, Toothless begins to move cautiously through the Science Center. Maybe there are answers elsewhere. Maybe Hiccup is wandering. Luckily, the corridors are wide enough that his twenty-foot length can navigate them a fair amount of ease. The leather saddle on his back, connected to a leather artificial fin on his tail, is the only immediate indication that Toothless is no wholly wild dragon.

Comments

[notfromnature]

His eyes go a little wider too. Of course it makes more sense than not for the wings to be functional, and avian intelligence is far from unheard of, even on this level, but it's still really fucking cool.

"Wonderful. You know, I've always wondered what it would be like, being able to fly. Under my own steam, I mean."

Not being able to talk around Julian is a big, big problem. He could go on for hours - and probably will, with no one to shut him up. Luckily (or not?) he doesn't need or even really expect a reply. He's happy more or less just talking to himself.

"Oh!" But... not entirely. "How remiss--! I'm sorry, I should have asked at first, but you know how it is, so easy to get distracted, but better late than never I'm sure. Is there any name you're, well, presumably you don't actually use a name as I would think of it, but-- well, have you got one? Something you'd prefer to be called? And - oh, damn - if you do, a method of, er, communicating it?"

He almost wishes he hadn't brought it up. Or at least that he'd figured out that question in his head before trying to ask it.

[no_eels]

Toothless, luckily, is an excellent listener — though sometimes he falls asleep in the middle of things. He puffs out his chest when Julian mentions wanting to fly. Flying is wonderful. His natural state of being. Flying with Hiccup is even better.

Thinking of Hiccup deflates him, a little, but then the subject of his name comes up.

Vikings and names. Vikings name everything, good grief.

The Night Fury nods a confirmation. He has a name! But how to communicate it... Hm... Perhaps Julian will come to it the same way Hiccup had? Toothless opens his mouth, exposing his pink gums, and retracts his short white teeth into them. All he has, now, are gums.

And very fishy breath.

[notfromnature]

He doesn't quite manage not to wince at the fish breath, but he puts a brave face on it. He's seen (and smelt) worse, after all. Unfortunately, the problem lies in guessing the name. The teeth retracting, yes, that seems to be intentional, but in this case Julian's overactive mind is actually less helpful than a normal one would be - he's aware of far too many options.

"Er-- O? That's... sort of an 'o' shape. In the Terran Latin script, anyway. I suppose you don't really use that. Um. Mouth? Gums? ...tongue?"

The expression is that of a man with very little faith in any of his answers.

[no_eels]

Toothless continues to hold his mouth open. It's not promising, the stream of words that comes out of this Viking's mouth. But then, oh! He's getting closer, finally. The Night Fury nods, encouraging Julian to keep going. You're getting it... Just a bit more...

He pops his teeth out once more, and then back in, making a show of not having them.

[notfromnature]

Genius Julian may be, but sensible, not so much. And he's not great at, well, communication. He frowns.

"Gums?" No, Julian, you've tried that one. "Uh. Tooth gap? Dentist's nightmare? Oh, I don't know. Well, look, I'll just... avoid using a name, I suppose. You don't mind, do you?"

[no_eels]

While the dragon looks disappointed, he shakes his head. He doesn't mind. No one referred to him with a name before Hiccup, after all. Dragons use scent where names are concerned. His teeth pop back up, and he closes his mouth again. Julian is, therefore, spared the continued barrage of fish-breath.

[notfromnature]

"Sorry."

He feels a little bad but, well, what can he do? Besides guess correctly. He sits back on his heels, looking a tad frustrated at himself (he'll be guessing names all night), but then switches back to responsible adult mode... or, well, to his closest approximation of it.

"So! Er-- are you alright as far as everything else is concerned? Have you got a room - no health problems? enough food? I mean, appropriate food - this place seems to supply the sort of thing humanoids need, but is the sort of thing you eat here too?"

[no_eels]

A room — well, he certainly has that. It must have been what he was frantic to escape from, upon waking up. Toothless nods. With that there, and fish in the kitchen, he supposes that his basic needs are being met as well as they can be.

He'd like Hiccup, and to be able to go outside. But in the meantime, he supposes he won't starve. And he has a place to sleep.