( ✈ SEVENTH FLIGHT; video — both courts )

[smithwork]

Hi, everyone! Hiccup here, Unseelie Court if that ... matters to you. I was wondering if anybody else felt like getting to know each other. I'm That Guy With The Night Fury, also known as Why Are You Riding A Dragon and Is That Thing Going To Eat Me.

I'll start us off.

I've been talking to Jon about marriages and weddings, stuff like that. You can all settle down, me and Snow aren't getting hitched any time soon — I know you'll all be deeply disappointed to hear that — I'm just wondering how people do things in other lands.

When you're a Viking, you only ever get married if the other person proves their worth to you and it's unheard of for anyone to be pressured into it. You could be a guy or a girl, it doesn't matter. Women and men decide for themselves that that's it, they want to marry, do it, and then sometimes one of them might decide to divorce the other. Is that such a weird concept to a lot of people here? And, uh, on the subject of ... bastards — sorry about the language if that's also a thing for you, as well as the actual meaning — why is it that if one half of a married couple has another child with someone who isn't their spouse, everybody thinks said child is worth less? That seems insane.

[ Hiccup certainly looks confused, and a bit offended on behalf of said illegitimate children. ]

There are lots of cultures clashing in the Drabwurld and I'm finding out new things every day but this is fascinating to me, maybe because it's crazy and I've never explored anywhere far enough away to encounter such a weird way of thinking. Where I come from, no one gets to offer you a serious insult unless you yourself have done something to deserve it. You should be as brave as Thor himself and stand up for what you want, no matter what anyone else thinks.

Then there's this whole weird attitude about other people bothering to voice their opinions about who you sleep with, as if a guy choosing to bunk with another guy is a huge deal, or girls doing the same. Where does that entitled nosiness even come from? [ Hiccup snorts. ] Surely if you're not there getting down with them, it's not your place to even have an opinion on their bedroom shenanigans. My dad's friend Gobber would put his metal club-hand through the face of anyone who decided to get vocal about his private life.

Jon said that Berkians sound like the Free Folk where he comes from, because we do whatever we want and we keep our honour through our own actions, not the reputations other spin for us.

[ Sitting back against a snoozing Toothless, Hiccup toys with the strings on the neck of his green tunic, armour set aside. ]

Does anyone want to chat about their own lands, their people? I'm ... the only Viking in either court, I think, at least currently. A few of my gods are here — Sif, Loki, and I think Thor might be or was, and I'm still kind of thrilled that Elves and Dwarves and Trolls are real in the Drabwurld. The latter less so, maybe. If you want to ask me anything about my home or our customs, go right ahead! I'm probably going to be bugging people if they respond to this, so fair's fair. Sorry if I already managed to offend you somehow, I guess that's the sort of thing that happens regularly when lots of different people are stuffed into the same place.

I suppose I'm just homesick for that craggy, freezing, rain-soaked rock I call home. [ (Hiccup was always able to sit down and talk to Stoick at night about his day, or he was until this whole Chieftain Handover thing began to crop up.) He pauses as he remembers to ask one more thing before he closes the locket. ] Also, uh. Do you ever think about — about settling down here permanently? In the Drabwurld. With someone ... new? If we get three times our normal lifespan, it's worth it. Isn't it? Building a new life.

Anyway, thanks for listening. I know I go on. Feel free to talk to anyone else in this broadcast if they pique your interest, I don't mind.

[ Threadjack away, bruhs. ]

Comments

[smithwork]

What? Why'd it do that? I thought Merida shot it full of holes.

[gordianknots]

It was a little before she did that. Apparently those who get too close, and are without her level of skill, are taught lessons about going after big game.

[He flops himself down, trying to become a hedgehog pancake.]

[smithwork]

Ahw, you look so sad, little buddy. [ Hedgehog pancake ahhHHH. ] I'm sure you'll be all Long Sleek Hair and Super Handsome Jawlines all over again soon, don't worry. Magic's crazy.

Need anything while you're like that? Wanna go flying to cheer up?

[gordianknots]

[He's been carried around in a teacup since the ninth man. It has been ridiculous.]

I will take you up on that when I'm in human form, as I'm pretty certain Rin would murder me for doing something so risky at this size.

[smithwork]

Rin is a friend of yours? And you'd be fine, I'd make a little pouch for you.

[gordianknots]

She is, although we mostly argue. [That's how you know they're friends.]

A pouch is probably better than a teacup---

[smithwork]

[ That's so true it hurts. ]

Yeah, and I'd stuff you inside my armour so you wouldn't fall out.

[gordianknots]

[Oh to hell with it. One dragon ride is worth it.]

Do you have thick gloves to handle me right now?

[smithwork]

I'd have to raid the storeroom of the Station for some thick gloves, some spare leather, string and a strong needle, but I might be able to find it all. Think you'll change back any time soon? Feeling that fur shortening?

[gordianknots]

Not at all. Honestly, I can probably just be wrapped up in a little bit of leather, if that makes your life easier.

[smithwork]

Alright, I'll have a look in a bit. It might be a midnight flight, if that's okay. I don't want to wake up Toothless so soon after his meal.

[gordianknots]

Take your time, I'll just leave the front door unlocked for you. I'll be on the counter.

[smithwork]

That's absurdly adorable and I might never let you forget that you said it. How are you doing otherwise?

[gordianknots]

I fully except that this will be the week I never live down, if we're being absolutely honest.

But I'm well enough otherwise. This transformation has actually gotten me to catch up on sleep. How are you, outside of asking so big questions out of everyone on the network?

[smithwork]

I miss Berk, and I miss my dad. Usually I'd go back to the house at night and we'd talk things out over supper. He ... He used to listen to me a lot, before he decided not to.

[ A shrug, an exasperated one but not without love for his father. ]

I wish he was here.

[gordianknots]

[Waver nods in understanding.]

I can imagine. Late night talks are always a lot more-- [He pauses, searching for the right words.] I find that they're a lot more emotionally honest, for some reason.

[smithwork]

Yeah. You know, my dad would bang everyone's heads together and make them give up this war, he's that kind of guy.

[ Hiccup firmly believes Stoick could do it. ]

[gordianknots]

Oh I would be delighted to see that happen.

[smithwork]

Stoick the Vast doesn't mess around! Never has. They say he popped the head off a dragon when he was a baby, which I fully believe.

[gordianknots]

--The Vast? I think I need to hear the story behind that.

[smithwork]

My dad is enormous. Like, we're talking seven-foot tall and almost as wide. Seriously, I'm a little over six-foot and I barely touch his shoulder, his hand is the size of my gut.

[gordianknots]

No wonder. Although now that you've explained it, I have to laugh, as my associated Rider here fits that description almost exactly.

[smithwork]

Your rider? Or a riding companion? Or ... ?

[ Dear Thor, don't let him misunderstand something else today. ]

[gordianknots]

That's just his name. Rider.

[Okay, so technically Alexander the Great, but we don't announce that information without Rider's say so.]

[smithwork]

Ah, I see. You must have a lot of friends, is your business still doing well?