swallowed by the dark | open

[no_eels]

Who: Toothless and you.
Where: The woods/grounds.
When: Today.
Rating: PG. Mentions of character death.
Summary: Death is a big thing if you... don't really know what it is.
The Story:

He remembers teeth sinking into his flesh, snarls, claws on the floor by his head, and fire. A voice — and then nothing. Every organism struggles to keep on, to keep going, to keep existing. Aside from the end, and trying to prevent it in himself and others, the Night Fury has never really thought about death. Death is natural, though as a dragon he knows not to go lightly. When he closes his eyes, it's so very dark.

But then he hears wind through the trees, and smells the ocean. That's not right. He remembers the Vikings talking about deaths — something about five of them, and coming back — but it had never really processed that he, too, would return. That's not natural. Why would he come back at all?

Now that he's lived it firsthand, Toothless doesn't know what to do with the information.

The dragon bolts upright, eyes as wide as saucers, and then runs. He doesn't stop until he's tired, and by then he can't see or smell the mansion anymore. He lays there, panting, until he surrenders to sleep again, hoping things make more sense when he awakens. Is this where dragons go when they die? He isn't sure where he is anymore.

For the entire day after Toothless' death, he wanders. Parched, hungry, and upset. He can't smell the invisible beasts anymore, but he startles at every rustle of leaves. Are they going to come find him? Mob him again? His plaintive cries are lost to the trees, and at the end of the night Toothless curls up under a fallen log and falls into a restless slumber.

When he awakens, he's lying on the grounds near the maze. It's a familiar sight, but it brings back memories of sulfur and snarling. Toothless is immediately in motion, again, the second he awakens, and runs to the corner of the foundation that leads to the caves. He doesn't go all the way inside, instead going just inside the entrance and then staring out. All that's visible is the vague shape of his head and his bright green eyes, due to his dark coloration.

There, he waits. Unwilling to move. On edge.

Still very much confused.

Comments

[seekingsanity]

Fuminori's smile widens.

"Everything's back to normal again. For now, anyway."

[no_eels]

Toothless looks in either direction, sniffing deeply. He doesn't smell sulfur anymore, or hear the pants of wolves he can't see. Fuminori's words further relax him, and he takes a few more steps towards his Viking friend before stopping and looking again. Satisfied, he looks up and then nods. Everything's normal until things go bad, again, at least.

[seekingsanity]

Fuminori stands up and puts a hand on Toothless's head, despite the feeling of it on his hands. He feels like that's the easiest way to express his connection to him.

[no_eels]

Knowing that such touches were rare, and that they didn't seem pleasant for the Viking, Toothless stands still, making a soft and appreciative noise in the back of his throat. He's glad to have such good friends here in Wonderland, especially when everything seems so... chaotic.

[seekingsanity]

Losing his friend and then dying in what seems like a short span of time has probably been hard on Toothless. Fuminori can relate, to some extent.

He lets his hand drop back down to his side.

"When you're up to it, let's play sometime."

It feels a little silly, as an adult, to suggest playing, but what the hell. He's played with Toothless before.

[no_eels]

Toothless seems to brighten at the suggestion, ears forward, eyes wide. Not too many of the Vikings seem to be able to let go and have fun with him in the same way that Hiccup did. Recently, at least. The Night Fury nods, trilling again, cheerful.

[seekingsanity]

Fuminori's glad to see the change. "Do you need to eat?"

[no_eels]

Another nod. It's been a while. He's suddenly aware of an empty stomach and a devouring sort of thirst, now that he feels less petrified about other things. As if to demonstrate the point, his stomach rumbles loudly.

[seekingsanity]

Fuminori almost laughs at that. Perfect timing.

"Let's go inside. You can get plenty to eat and drink."

[no_eels]

It seems pointless, now, to be nervous about going inside. Things do seem to be over, and he has Fuminori with him. Saving face and protecting the Vikings is, oddly enough, more important than any tinge of fear he still has. That's what had gotten him into that mess to begin with. But he doesn't mind. It's just the kind of creature he is — willing to put himself on the line for his friends.

Toothless inclines his head and then, with a cheerful gait, leads the way inside and toward the kitchen.

[seekingsanity]

Fuminori follows along. He might as well eat, too, while they're in there. Toothless either won't care or at least won't tell about his diet.