☾ nightfury at the gates (open)

[no_eels]

Who: Toothless and you.
Where: Outside the mansion, pretty much anywhere.
When: 6/23
Rating: This is a kid's movie! (G. I'll update if it changes!)
Summary: Toothless arrives back at the mansion without any memory of it. ...'Arrives' is probably oversimplifying it. 'Crashes' is more accurate.

The Story:

It's funny, but Toothless doesn't remember hedges in Berk. He doesn't even know what a hedge is, in fact, but the shape in front of him strikes him as Viking-made. Plants don't actually grow like that, do they? Is he on some weird new island where the plants are different?

All he remembers is flying — and then not flying.

Speaking of which, with a quiet cry of alarm, the Nightfury lurches to his feet. Hiccup! Was he thrown clear? Where is he? The area around him is large, and he can also smell — is that a beach, maybe beyond the treeline? For a moment, he stands unnaturally still, trying to pinpoint the sound of his best friend's voice. But all he hears are unfamiliar voices, and the rustling of wind through trees. It only makes the thrill of horror in his chest greater, and Toothless immediately sets off at a run.

Or he tries to, at least.

His thoughts being as distracted as they are, his mad dash is foiled by the fish pond being in the way. The Nightfury plunges, unintentionally, underneath the surface, and comes up with wide green eyes, scrambling for the shore amidst the frantic movements of fish beneath him. Such is the gravity of the situation that the fish don't even factor into his mind, just yet. He comes back up on land and this time sets off at a much more successful run, soaking wet and wings tucked tight to his body for greater speed.

Every once in a while, he lets out a loud, long, distressed sounding call — sort of the dragon version of Hey! Where are you? With the speed of his movements, hopefully no one will find themselves in his way.

[ooc: Both prose and action spam are fine by me.]

Comments

[no_eels]

He only has to think for a moment. He's heard Hiccup say 'thank the gods' enough, although that does say something about the situations they find themselves in. Though they've weathered each and every one, the dragon doesn't know what 'gods' have to do with it.

Yeah, Toothless affirms, in a confused way. Um... Someone named Odin. And Thor.

Maybe they're very lucky friends Hiccup used to have.

[freewill]

It's as Castiel had guessed, then. The Norse pantheon exists wherever this dragon may come from. It seems unlikely that it's the same Earth as Castiel's own, but it may be possible. Dragons are very much real there, they just don't normally manifest in this way.

There are gods where I come from too. Angels are meant to serve God. God is our Father, he created us, and we carry out his orders.

That's how it's meant to work in theory, at least. Heaven hasn't functioned that way in a long, long time.

[no_eels]

For a moment, there's puzzled silence as the Nightfury attempts to work this out. But he's lost. Dragons have no need for such thoughts. The world is there — why think any more of it?

What does a God do? he wonders.

They must be important, if they help people so often.

...they help Hiccup, at least, who needs all the aid he can get.

[freewill]

That's a surprisingly good question. For all the worship that humans lavish upon gods, for all the faith that's put in them, what do they actually do? His Father hasn't done much, not since He decided He no longer cared for the world He'd created and left them all to their own devices.

But he doesn't need to share that bitterness with a creature like this. Castiel lets out a breath and carefully composes an answer.

They're the ones who created the Earth, and humans, and even dragons, he explains. God rules over Heaven, which is where humans go after they die, to be at peace.

As much as Heaven has made a mess of other things, at least it has always done its job of guarding the human souls in its gates.

[no_eels]

The Nightfury looks very serious as he mulls over this explanation. His eyes are wide as the cogs turn and turn in his mind — which isn't exactly built for this sort of conversation. But he tries.

What's an Earth? And a Heaven? he wonders next.

There are, surely, an endless stream of questions that the dragon could come up with, but he does want to understand just what this viking — human — is. He doesn't smell right. There's something off about his scent.

[freewill]

Castiel realizes that a dragon isn't built to know or care about these sorts of things, but so long as Toothless remains curious, he'll do his best to explain in a way that he can understand.

Earth is the world that you live on. Where you're from. Toothless' world may in fact have a different name, but it isn't important right now, so long as he understands the basic concept.

Heaven is another, different place that humans can only go to after they die. Not that something like Toothless would go there, but Castiel would rather not have to explain Purgatory to this beast.

[no_eels]

Toothless cants his head to the side as he thinks. Where he's from... I live in Berk. By the sea.

He hasn't always, of course. Before Berk had been the mountain. But Berk is home, now, because Hiccup — and the other dragons — call it home. And really, there's nothing wrong with it. He even has his own bed there, and the dragons are all well taken care of. In sharp contrast, certainly, to how things used to be between vikings and dragons.

Don't... humans burn up and go into the sea?

This is how it's seemed to him, at least.

[freewill]

Berk. The name doesn't sound familiar, and given that Castiel's seen the whole of Earth over the course of his long life, that most likely means that Toothless is in fact from a different world.

Berk may be the name of the area you live in, but the entire world should have its own name. It's interesting to realize that a dragon would have such a small scope of things, when he has wings that can carry him from land to land.

Castiel's familiar enough with viking death rituals to know what Toothless is referring to, and he nods. That's a way to put a human to rest, but after that their soul leaves their body and ascends to Heaven. Or Valhalla, as vikings would call it. A different name, but the same concept.

[no_eels]

He's reasonably certain that the vikings just call it 'the world' — that's what he remembers. But maybe some of them have a different name. Toothless hasn't exactly paid the closest of attention to matters of geography. He'd known where home was, in the bottom of his heart, able to get there even without his wings to guide him. But home had been where the alpha dragon was, to protect them all.

And to make them feed its enormous appetite.

So you live in Valhalla?

Toothless sniffs at Castiel's coat, a little bolder, now. Perhaps that's why he smells so strangely.

[freewill]

Castiel's head tips down as he watches the dragon sniff at him curiously. It must be able to smell that he's not quite right, the same way that Castiel can sense when someone isn't human. He keeps his hands to himself, but doesn't make any attempt to push Toothless away.

The question is actually a difficult one to answer. Where does he live, these days? Home has become a set of people, more than a place, and Castiel isn't certain he'll ever reach a point where he can place his roots anywhere.

I used to live there. He doesn't bother to make the distinction between Heaven and Valhalla. The basic concept is similar enough that it shouldn't matter.

Lately, I've been spending more time on Earth, trying to help humans. When he isn't being brainwashed by Naomi, that is. Even now, after he's been here for months, the thought of that still stings.

[no_eels]

Humans... Vikings. Toothless trills quietly in the back of his throat, looking up at Castiel.

Dragons help humans too, he thinks, with a certain note of pride. Now that there's peace between Berk and dragons, a very beneficial society has sprung up. What do you help humans with?

[freewill]

Dragons help humans? That's hardly the case where Castiel comes from, but he doesn't think it would be a good idea to mention that to Toothless. Unnecessarily upsetting a dragon doesn't strike him as wise, even if he is an angel.

To stop those who would seek to harm the world, he replies, deciding to keep it vague. There's much more to it, including stopping an Apocalypse or two, but he's explained quite a lot to Toothless already.

[no_eels]

Oh. He thinks, for a moment. That's a job that sounds very big. And important. Toothless nods his head. You must be busy.

That's what it sounds like to the Nightfury, at least, who is lazy more often than not about anything which isn't important to Hiccup. And sometimes even when things are. Getting used to running around in the daytime had taken a little time.

[freewill]

Well, Toothless isn't wrong there. Castiel's mouth actually curls up in an almost-smile as he nods his head. In fact, that may as well be an understatement. He's had to adjust to the long, meandering days here in Wonderland, where more often than not there's nothing going on.

Still, today he's met a dragon, and that in itself is noteworthy.

So you're a captive of this place like the rest of us? That's something Castiel had attempted to ask first and foremost, but now that introductions and explanations are over with, his curiosity's returned.

[no_eels]

Captive?

Toothless' head shoots up in alarm. So far he's been comforted in the fact that they've crash-landed on an island and Hiccup's probably made a few new viking friends, delaying them finding each other. Much in the way Toothless has already made a few friends. But captives?

He well remembers being chained into wood and iron, and he doesn't want to experience that again.

What do you mean? I was flying and I think I fell...

[freewill]

Castiel is left at a loss for a moment. Given that there's something undeniably young about this dragon, maybe it isn't so surprising that he hasn't yet realized the situation that he's in.

He looks around them, as if there might be someone else around who could explain this. But there isn't, and given that he's one of the few here who could properly communicate with Toothless, it's up to him to explain what's going on here.

You don't recognize this place, do you? It's because you've been brought here against your will, as we all have. You can try to leave, to fly home, but you won't find any way out.

Castiel has his own set of wings, even if they're not visible. He's tried to fly out of here plenty of times, but he always comes up against the same wall. Though in Toothless' case, an escape effort could turn out to be much more painful.

[no_eels]

Eyes wide, he considers. No, he certainly doesn't recognize this island. It's... it's... well, he's been warned it's dangerous, and now Toothless has his proof if he and Hiccup are trapped here. Or perhaps it's just him that's trapped here? Hopefully his viking friend is all right...

We can't leave?

[freewill]

Castiel shakes his head, then turns his gaze to the forest behind them and then to the ocean out in the distance.

If you make any attempt to fly out too far and explore the edges of this place, you'll find yourself back where you started. And sometimes in a lot of pain. Castiel's even heard of people losing their lives that way.

It's an idiotic way to waste a death, in his opinion. Wonderland already tries hard enough to kill them without making it worse.

[no_eels]

Toothless turns his head, too, to stare at the horizon. It doesn't make any sense. He almost doesn't believe the angel, in fact, but... everything else he's stated seems true enough. Why would he lie about this? Unless, of course, he's making fun of Toothless...

...but somehow, he just really doesn't seem the type. The set of his face is far too serious. Even Hiccup, while straight-faced and playing a joke on Toothless, will have twinkling eyes.

Is that how we got here? He makes a low, rumbly whine. I can't find Hiccup anywhere...

[freewill]

Were Toothless truly skeptical, he could always investigate for himself, but Castiel wouldn't suggest it. The dragon will no doubt end up doing it anyway, as curiosity isn't something that's so easily smothered.

The exact specifics of how we're all brought here is unclear. It's meant to be sudden and confusing. Castiel himself had washed up from the ocean, but at least he'd had his senses to inform him that this place was outside of Earth.

What does Hiccup look like? There's no guarantee that he was brought here with you, but I can search for him.

Friends were often separated before being brought here, or they came from different times -- whatever it took for Wonderland to make their lives more difficult.

[no_eels]

This is the part Toothless will be less than good at, though he doesn't know it. He and Toothless are from different times. The Hiccup that the dragon knows is short, scrawny. The Hiccup is tall, and proportionate (though still on the light side, compared to most vikings).

He's this big. Toothless lifts a paw to his friend's short height. Brown fur. He has green eyes.

Like Toothless himself.

[freewill]

Fur can only mean hair color in this context, or so Castiel will have to assume. Height, eye color, and hair color isn't much to work with, but he'll still do what he can to look for a boy that fits that description.

Castiel nods. Understood. If I find him, I'll let him know that you've also been taken by this place.

It would be easier for Toothless to have someone familiar here, of course, but he should also prepare for the possibility that he's on his own. He may not be here, but Wonderland isn't so large. If he is here, you'll find him.

[no_eels]

Thanks.

Toothless lets out a low, appreciative trill, the first real noise in this conversation in a while. Any onlookers are probably puzzled by what's going on, a dragon and an angel having, for all it looks, a staring contest. The dragon isn't bothered. This is a very intriguing form of communication. It's a lot more concise than he can be with Hiccup.

But something the angel says puzzles him.

I can't fly without Hiccup. How would I be here without him?

[freewill]

Castiel doesn't mind either. He's more than used to having staring contests, and he finds the dragon interesting to look at, given that he's in his true form.

Since Toothless doesn't seem bothered by it either, they could probably go on for hours like this if they wanted to.

Though Toothless' question causes Castiel to look skyward for a moment. Can't fly without him? Even if that's true, there are still ways for Wonderland to get around such things.

This place can pluck you from wherever you are, regardless of what you might have been doing. You were alone when you arrived here, weren't you?

[no_eels]

Yes. The dragon pauses, considering, his giant eyes gleaming in worry. But I thought he... fell off.

Sometimes that does happen. Toothless is always around to catch him, and always has been, except... well, he'd been groggy when he'd arrived, and... Now he's worried all over again. What if Hiccup is stranded somewhere alone? Somewhere that isn't this strange kidnapping island?

Does it 'pluck' with magic? I don't have any feathers...

He's heard someone else describing the place's tricks with 'magic', and though he doesn't understand that — it's worth a question. Maybe this place just can't be explained easily, no matter the communication method.