lightning and death [open]

[no_eels]

Who: Toothless, and you.
Where: Along the trail, and then in Denny's. With any luck.
When: Oregon Trail event.
Rating: PGish. A dragon's gotta eat.
Summary: He has no idea what happened to the mansion, but this whole dusty traveling thing is just downright weird even for Wonderland. Still, Toothless is determined to see it to the end, and to follow everyone.
The Story:


Day One: And here the dragon had thought he was maybe, finally getting used to Wonderland, the strange island one cannot swim or fly from. Toothless opens his eyes to find a dusty prairie on all sides and a lot of strange, smelly new people. Everyone is a bustle of activity, most of the grumbling and grumpy nature, and at first Toothless sticks close to Hiccup's side. He doesn't trust any of this.

But later in the day, as wagon trains begin to take shape, Toothless finally branches out on his own, to explore and sniff all of the new objects he's never seen before. He gives the salted meat a wrinkled nose before the butcher chases him away, and accidentally terrifies a woman putting together a clothing display outside of her shop. By the end of the day, Toothless is exhausted, and still very confused.

Day Two: Even without his wings, Toothless doesn't give the river much thought, at first. He easily swims across, thinking everyone else will do the same, and then realizes they have those bulky... wheeled things to deal with. In deeper water, he'd be worried. But the dragon, with a little creativity from his tail, manages to swim well enough. Toothless fords back out in the middle of the river (to the alarm of the ferry people working it), hoping to help in some measure. Though the only way he could help is to stop a drowning.

As for the rest of the day, Toothless becomes separated from his friend early on, in the dark; the dust and strange smells down out Hiccup's scent. He spends his time keeping an even trot, checking each wagon he comes across for his friend. But inevitably, his search comes up empty. When it starts to get dark again, he simply looks for someone who doesn't mind a dragon sleeping next to them.

Day Three: Another trading post isn't of much consequence for Toothless, who's been living largely off of rabbits found off the trail and maybe a few bites of food from kindly Trail goers. He can hunt reasonably well, but the buffalo confuse him more than the oxen. They're more of a meal than he needs, anyway, and he spends the time at the trading post looking for Hiccup again.

Needless to say, the amount of sick vikings around him worries the dragon. But there isn't much he can do, other than hope that the human sicknesses don't pass down to him. He doesn't exactly fit in a wagon. Not without killing the oxen from effort.

Day Four: Cold. Great, just great.

Toothless himself doesn't care. He isn't a true reptile, and he can keep himself warm in the snow. He's from a cold climate, after all. A little time spent running and hopping around like the world's biggest cat gets his blood moving again. But the vikings? The vikings don't seem to be doing so well, and the Nightfury can't do much for them aside from helping them start fires whenever they have to slow for the night.

He really hopes this is going to be over soon.

Day Five: But he didn't expect this.

Toothless spends far, far too much time at the flashing neon sign, after he swims across the river. He nearly gets swept up in the freezing water, but struggles to the shore, coughing water out of his system. For a time, he simply lays on the river bank, tired and disheartened that his search for Hiccup has turned up nothing. But then he spots the sign, and his curiosity wins out.

From there on, it's the smell of food that distracts him. Denny's staff don't mind a black dragon in the building, do they?

Whether they do or not, the dragon totters inside to curl up in a corner of the place, recognizing these particular vikings, and at least has a warm place to spend his time. No matter how much the employees freak out, the miserable Nightfury won't be moved from the premises.

Comments

[doesnotplay]

Hmm. A bold creature indeed. Panne does not move, watching, listening as Toothless' footsteps grew closer, and the sound of his breathing, like a great puffing bellows. His jet-black hide does make it hard to get a good focus on him in the darkness, but she can make out his general outline.

"Wyvern," she speaks to him in nature's tongue, that nearly any beast can understand, "What on Naga's earth are you doing here? The prairies are no place for your kind. You should be flying among the clouds, in the mountains and cliffs. Have you been separated from your pack?"

[no_eels]

This is not at all what he was expecting, and Toothless freezes to stare into the toward the sound of the voice. Hers is the second voice he's been able to understand. The first had been Castiel's, in his mind — at least, that had been what the angel had explained to him.

Finally, though, he shakes his head. He isn't a wyvern, namely. Though he's been separated from Hiccup, that isn't right either. Canines have packs. Dragons have colonies.

He lifts his wings ever so slightly, to expose the leather harness underneath that makes it possible for someone to ride him into the sky. The only reason he ever reaches the sky, ever since the day he'd met Hiccup.

[doesnotplay]

"Ah, so you have a rider."

Panne does not understand why animals like pegasi and wyverns put up with humans they way that they do. They are intelligent, noble creatures; they deserve better than to be someone's beast of burden-- and yet, when given the chance to escape, nearly all would choose to stand beside their rider. Humans do not deserve such steadfast loyalty.

"Where are they? I see that your tail is broken; they should be taking care of you."

[no_eels]

No easy answer to that question. Or any fun answers. Toothless hesitates a moment before his head droops, his ears tilting back just slightly. He's been trying not to let the absence of Hiccup worry him too much. The young viking's probably just in one of these wagons, learning all about how they work, protected by the others.

But there's no guarantee, of course.

He rumbles, low, in his throat, displeased and a tiny bit miserable.

[doesnotplay]

So he's been abandoned. This could be for a myriad of reasons, many of them perfectly reasonable, but Panne does not entertain such thoughts. She feels no kindness towards humans.

"I will give your rider the benefit of the doubt and say that you have been separated by accident," she says, mainly because she does not want to offend Toothless for his choice in taking a partner. "But I have little faith in the spawn of men, so this doubt will not last long."

"If you want to stay here, you are welcome to share my fire for the night."

[no_eels]

Men. Toothless runs this word through his mind, remembering what Castiel had said about vikings being called 'humans'. He defaults to viking, as this is the only kind of... human... he's known. The Nightfury, confused, cocks his head to the side when she mentions spawning. Do vikings spawn? He's never seen any of them spawn.

Of course, he's never seen any of them lay eggs, either. Very strange.

Toothless trills, higher than his previous sounds, and then settles down to lay on his stomach by Panne. Their surroundings get a bit chillier than he'd imagined, and the warmth of the fire is very nice on his black scales.

[doesnotplay]

Toothless has more personality and intelligence than your average wyvern. Panne can tell he's a special creature. All the more odd that he would allow himself to be harnessed. Now that he's close, and she can get a better look at the contraption on his tail, she sees that he must need a rider in order to fly at all.

Poor thing. Is he being taken advantage of somehow? She scratches the crest of fins around his head.

"You know, in my world, dragons are worshiped as gods."

[no_eels]

Toothless' eyes are half-lidded as Panne scratches him, absorbing the attention with a pleased look on his dark face. But when she makes her remark, he seems taken aback by the thought. He recalls his conversation with Castiel about gods -- gods make worlds, islands, people. Hadn't that been it?

Why would anyone think dragons are capable of that?

He cocks his head to the side, trying to puzzle it out.

[doesnotplay]

"The Divine Dragon, Naga, bringer of light and the creator of the world. And Grima, the darkness, the destroyer..."

She sighs.

"I agree. I do not trouble myself with the matters of gods. They are far beyond my grasp. However, know that all worlds are different. In one like mine, you are a creature that demands respect. Never think of yourself as a lesser being because of how you are treated."

She has had such doubts, and they are poisonous to the soul.

[no_eels]

He appears to think over this a moment, before nodding and puffing up his chest. As best he can in a sitting position, at least. Toothless has no shortage of ego, though he does find it within himself to put other creatures ahead of him.

Often Hiccup, when Hiccup is in danger and Toothless is in a better place to deal with it. Vikings are very fragile, even if some of them — like Hiccup's father — don't look the part.

[doesnotplay]

"Good."

She gives him a hearty pat.

"I am called Panne. Have you been given a name?"

[no_eels]

Toothless inclines his head, rumbling a little. He doesn't know what Panne is, exactly, but she's kind, and she talks to him like Hiccup does. Like he can understand her just fine. It's much easier to deal with than when people talk down to him, and it makes him feel better.

But then again, his name is an issue that reminds Toothless of the communication barrier.

It's very difficult for him to get it across. Impossible, if the viking in question can't guess correctly. But it's time to try and see if Panne can guess what Hiccup's come to call him. He opens his mouth, showing off his short, white teeth for a moment before he retracts them into his pink gums.

[doesnotplay]

"A name that has to do with your retractable teeth?"

Of all the silly... A dragon is a majestic, powerful beast, and they decide to name him something like that? She will never understand humans. They have the strangest senses of humor.

"Nod when I am correct. Gums. No-teeth. No-fangs. Fangless. Toothless..."

[no_eels]

Names are meaningless to dragons, who have far different methods of communication, but he knows that they're very important to vikings. Crucial, perhaps. Toothless doesn't feel a flash of pride because he has a name — he feels a flash of pride because it was a name given to him by his dearest friend.

If the name is a bit lackluster, well, it's not as if the viking's own name is all that powerful, either. At least they're matched.

When Toothless tumbles out of her mouth, the Nightfury sits up straight and rumbles, ears swiveling forward. He's pleased she's gotten it so quickly.

[doesnotplay]

"Toothless, then. Well met."

Panne throws a few more pieces of wood on the fire. The moon is beautiful tonight, though she does not care to look upon it directly. She curls up in a ball with every intention to sleep, in the dirt and elements like an animal would.

[no_eels]

Toothless observes this curiously. Most vikings don't sleep like this, exactly. Even Hiccup, when sleeping outside, has or makes some sort of a pillow. But this not-viking is strange, and so this fits the rest of her behavior. But she's nice. He likes her.

He stays awake a while longer, sniffing the air and watching their surroundings, before sleep comes to claim the Nightfury, and he lowers his head and closes his eyes to bow to its will.

[doesnotplay]

ooc: [DARE. I MEANT DARE. THE MOON IS SACRED TO RABBIT TAGUEL AND THEY DON'T LOOK AT IT DIRECTLY.]

[lol I didn't expect you to reply any differently, but MY OWN STUPID TYPOS STEAM ME SO MUCH I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING!!!!!]