Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thisisamazing) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
riverview2018-02-28 07:46 am
thisisamazing) wrote in riverview2018-02-28 07:46 am
video, @hiccup
[When the video clicks on, Hiccup comes into focus, leaning back from where he was propping up his phone on the table. He's softly casual in a loose t-shirt bearing the logo of one of the Riverview University science clubs, probably biology or engineering, but it's difficult to make it out. He's sitting at the table in the communal kitchen of Floor One, with one of those small, round layer cakes so ubiquitous in grocery stores in front of him. A birthday cake for one, with swirls of white frosting and colorful sprinkles, and 'Happy Birthday' written in red icing across the top.]
So, the nice lady at the grocery store seemed amazed I'd never had a birthday cake. I had to tell her we don't have this kind of thing on Berk. [He laughs a little, quietly, and a black blur from the side indicates Toothless slipping into the frame, seating himself on the floor next to Hiccup and planting his head on the edge of the table to peer at the camera. The dragon purrs out an inquisitive noise as Hiccup cuts himself a thin slice of cake and tries it.
He's immediately making a face, setting it back down on the plastic tray.] Oh, wow, that's- sugary? That's so sweet. [His palate is accustomed to sparing amounts of honey as sweetener, not modern processed white sugar. Toothless leans in a little more and sniffs at the sliver of cake, then wrinkles his nose.] Yeah, I probably won't finish this. It'll be in the icebox if anyone on my floor wants it, though!
What kinds of birthday traditions do you have in your worlds? Anything fun? Something better than cake, hopefully.
So, the nice lady at the grocery store seemed amazed I'd never had a birthday cake. I had to tell her we don't have this kind of thing on Berk. [He laughs a little, quietly, and a black blur from the side indicates Toothless slipping into the frame, seating himself on the floor next to Hiccup and planting his head on the edge of the table to peer at the camera. The dragon purrs out an inquisitive noise as Hiccup cuts himself a thin slice of cake and tries it.
He's immediately making a face, setting it back down on the plastic tray.] Oh, wow, that's- sugary? That's so sweet. [His palate is accustomed to sparing amounts of honey as sweetener, not modern processed white sugar. Toothless leans in a little more and sniffs at the sliver of cake, then wrinkles his nose.] Yeah, I probably won't finish this. It'll be in the icebox if anyone on my floor wants it, though!
What kinds of birthday traditions do you have in your worlds? Anything fun? Something better than cake, hopefully.
no subject
Some people say they live in bodies of water, or in the heavens. There are even stories of people being reborn as dragons if they deserved it.
Do any of the dragons around your home have a serpentine body and two long whiskers on their face? [Because now Billy can't help but be curious if there are any that resemble an Eastern dragon. He can remember how, as a boy in Korea, him and some friends would go out into the forest looking for a dragon. Or how his father used to say, "The dragon in the sea must be restless today," when Billy was with him on the fishing boat and the waves were rough.]
First time being so far away from home then? [His voice holds a touch of sympathy and his eyes soften some.]
no subject
Mm, Whispering Deaths are probably the most snake-like, but they're spiny, and don't have whiskers. I'm sure there are plenty of species I've never seen before, still, so you never know! There might be dragons like that. If you have statues and drawings, they must have existed at one point, right? [That's what he thinks, anyway, but he's always reluctant to imagine worlds without dragons at all.
He manages a little smile.] Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I've lived away from Berk before, but... you know, I could always fly back if I wanted.
no subject
[His eyes focus more on the black dragon than its owner for a moment. The creature reminds him of the dragons that were in the master's son's story books.]
That's one of the arguments people used back home. I used to go looking for them when I was a child, but I never had any luck.
[But then Billy's eyes widen some, amazed.] Your dragon lets you ride its back? How long did it take to train him to do that?
[At least, he assumes that's what Hiccup means by being able to "fly back," considering the impressive wings he can just barely see through the small screen of his phone. Dragons were said to be very strong, too, so they could probably carry a human effortlessly.]
no subject
[He turns back to the camera, a little sheepish now.] Well, he uh, he can't fly without me. He lost a tail fin, so I- you know, I built him a new one, and now we fly together - a foot pedal attached to the saddle works the tail fin. We learned to trust each other so we're both better off.
no subject
[A deep bark sounds from off screen before a large Great Dane with a harlequin coat and red collar pushes up against Billy to get into the shot. He chuckles and pats her on the head.]
She's not a dragon, but this is Jina. I found her looking through the garbage cans here months ago.
[The dog greets Hiccup and Toothless with another bark before going quiet so Billy can listen to Hiccup, but not without laying her head down on his lap.]
You built him a new one and made a system like that? [If he didn't sound impressed before, he certainly does now.] Are you an inventor? 'Cause you sound smart like one.
no subject
[He brightens a little when the dog comes into the frame, smiling wide.] She's a gorgeous dog. I can't believe no one was taking care of her. [He's a bleeding heart for animals of all shapes and sizes, really.]
Yeah, I guess you could say I'm an inventor. I like to solve problems and improve things! Make life easier. For people and dragons both.
no subject
He can't help but smile with pride when Jina is called gorgeous.] Thank you, I can't imagine why someone would abandon her either. She's really sweet. [Billy also had a fondness for animals, but dogs held a special place in his heart] But how did you and Toothless meet?
[Because where Billy's from, it's not everyday a human meets a dragon and befriends it.]
Inventions do help make life easier. [He nods in agreement.] A lot of the technology here isn't available in my world, so I've hardly had to struggle living in this place. I try not to let myself get too lazy, though.
no subject
Ah, well, that's-! Kind of a long story, haha. I sort of shot him down with a bola launcher... but we're a matched pair now, he saved all of me but my left leg from the Red Death. [Only a viking makes jokes about his own limb loss.]
We don't have a lot of this either! It's really convenient. I've been trying to learn how everything works so maybe I can take some of it back home.