017 - Event, Phone call, Straight to Stage Four

[worstvikingever]

[Hiccup clearly has no resistances against whatever it is that's in the air, and when he makes his phone call, he's sounding a little shaken.

Memories, you know. He doesn't like talking about this.

But he has to.]

So a few of you already suspected that... well... something happened back around the whole highway thing and the April Fools' thing. Aside from the obvious stuff, I mean.

Something bad... happened to me.

[He takes a deep breath. He really doesn't like talking about this.]

So around that time people were taking Officer Grady up on his offer to join up with him and get stuff back, right? And Lucrezia took that offer. She got this... ability to control people. And she was able to control Klaus.

And she... [He hesitates.] She ordered Klaus to torture and kill me.

And he had to. He dragged me down to the table in the garage, strapped me down, and cut off all my fingers and toes. One by one. Then he cut off my feet and my hands. One by one. Then my legs. I. Had both my legs then. Before he could get to my arms I... I died.

[His breathing is ragged and he's crying.]

I'm sorry, I don't... I don't know why... I just... I needed... I had to tell everyone... we were trying to just... ignore it for so long... the stains are still on the floor...

[He's quiet, just crying for a moment before he takes a deep breath and continues.]

And then I woke up and went to stay at the forge to try to help people by making weapons. But Lucrezia sent Klaus after me. But before he could do anything. I. I shot him.

[Another pause. Then, more quietly,]

Then, a few weeks ago when the whole letter thing telling everyone to kill other people happened, I saw Ples kill Klaus. And I. I just. I couldn't handle it.

I killed Ples. With an axe. That's... that's how I got shot.

[He trails off finally, awkwardly. His soft sniffles can be heard in the background. What else is there to say? Nothing.]

Comments

[worstvikingever]

I don't want to talk about it. I never want to talk about it. I just want to go home. Home, where even when life was at its worst all I had to deal with was being disowned by my father and practically cast out from my tribe, but at least I could do something about it.

[He can't stop talking and he wants to shut up he just wants to go home and he wants to stop talking but he can't stop talking and gods he's going to start crying again he hates that]

[ooeeooahah]

[ Ilsa is prepared for crying. She's already tired of Mayfield taking things to this extreme. ]

Please, tell me what you did.

[ Because the gods know Hiccup could use a positive note now. ]

[worstvikingever]

[He's quiet for a moment, trying to get himself under control, but he can't stay quiet for long. He has to tell her.]

My village had been fighting the dragons for centuries, and then I come along and was just a failure at everything, so when I finally did down a dragon, I... couldn't kill it. I let him go, and we became friends, and... I learned to ride him. But when the village found out... my dad, the village chief, he... he disowned me and used Toothless to find the dragon nest.

So I got the rest of the kids to ride dragons and follow them because... well there was a huge dragon controlling all the others and I tried to tell them but he wouldn't listen he never listened. Anyway so we followed and by the time they got there the giant dragon was fighting the villagers and my dad and... well we got Toothless free and Toothless and I ended up killing it. I almost died. But I lost my leg instead. And... the dragons calmed down after that because the giant dragon was controlling them all that time and so when I got brought here the dragons and the village were living together and it was working out.

[Deep breath.]

I think that pretty much covers it.

[ooeeooahah]

Good - even with personal injury, it ended up better for your village.

It sounds like active solutions suit you better. I think understand your interest in the forge. You do very good work. I've been telling those that need blades and such about you. I'm trying to give others a chance to work with you before I ask for another knife. I still need to find materials that will work for it.

[ Her eyes are wider as she tries to stop the torrent of words. ]

These are things you should feel good about accomplishing.

[ She finally clamps her teeth together for a moment. ]

[worstvikingever]

Yeah, I think it's part of the Viking thing. Usually we're not good at talking stuff out ever although I was always different but yeah for me it's better if I just... do something...

...thanks. That's... yeah. Helpful. I like having stuff to do.

[ooeeooahah]

If you feel up to it, that might be the best thing for you to do. The work sometimes can help your concentration, and help you sort out things in your head.

I'm usually available to listen, and if you decide you want to talk while you work, let me know.

[worstvikingever]

I was planning on making another phone call asking if anyone needed anything done soon anyway, since we've got a bunch of new people... so yeah I probably will soon.

...thanks. I'll... I'll keep that in mind.

[ooeeooahah]

I'm sorry for being this insistent, but I was worried about you. You'll take care, right?

[worstvikingever]

Well I'll try, but it's hard to promise anything around here.