nothing is perfect, but your imperfections are quaint

[diomedea]

Who: AN ENTIRE BLOODSPORT AND ANY VISITORS
Broadcast: Nope!
Action: On the Bloodsport!
When: 6/14-6/21

[WELCOME TO THE BLOODSPORT HICCUP don't mind the crew. They're. Uhh. Unique.

Enjoy your pudding! What's the crew up to this week?]

Comments

6/13ish

[horrendous]

Aaaah! [Hiccup appears on the bridge like most new arrivals, staggering out of surprise and... accidentally knocking over the pudding or whatever the hell that is. He steadies himself on a console-- thankfully not hitting anything important-- and glances around.

Confetti settles in his hair. He's not quite sure where it came from, but he lifts a hand cautiously to ruffle his hair and chase it out.]

Uh... hah... hi.

[It doesn't take him long to go exploring, though, so if anyone would like to run into him somewhere else it's totally possible. You can probably hear him coming a mile away with that metal foot.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[WELL... Robin was just standing around by the comm station, trying to decipher the readings and totally minding his own business, so he understandably also looks kind of startled when someone materializes on his bridge in a small cloud of confetti.]

...Hello. [a short, considering pause.] How are you?

[horrendous]

[Hiccup gives a glance at whatever brown stuff is on the floor. He doesn't want to find out what that is. And then he looks back over at Robin.]

I'm-- I'm good, mostly. As good as I can be after being... kidnapped. [He dusts more confetti off his armor.] Where am I? [He could be on one of the other weird sail-less ships, but he's not sure.]

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Ah. [well, then. he'll just stop what he's doing, lean on the control panel. at least he's figured out what's going on--and seems pretty casual about it.]

You're on the Bloodsport, one of the seventeen smaller ships in the Drift Fleet. And unless they changed their gimmick, the confetti means you're the newest member of the crew.

[horrendous]

[Robin's nature helps put Hiccup at ease, a little.]

Ah, gotcha. So nice of them to give me a choice. [The sarcasm is tangible.] I never was much the sailing type, or whatever you call-- [He gestures to ALL of the ship.] -- this. I'd rather fly... but they grabbed me and somehow forgot my dragon, so that's right out.

[He rolls his shoulders and looks around again.]

This is gonna sound crazy, because it is, but I apparently know how this hunk of metal works. I'm-- not the only one, right?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[oooo, his eyes go a little wide--with severe understanding.]

You've got all this knowledge that wasn't there a few days ago, right? You suddenly understand what a photon capacitor is, despite having never seen one in your life?

[horrendous]

[Oh thank the GODS he thought he was alone here. His eyes widen too.]

And you mysteriously know how to change a flux radiator even though you're pretty sure you have no idea what those words mean outside of that context?

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Yes! [oh no he's grinning now this is taking a dangerous turn.] You're an engineer! And no one else on this ship is going to have a fucking clue what you're talking about.

[that's... no, Robin, stop looking so happy...]

So, what's your name? And go back to whatever you said about a dragon?

[horrendous]

[Hiccup laughs awkwardly. At least he's not alone. On the other hand, this is a strange and terrifying new responsibility.] Except you, right? That's... something, I guess. I'm used to making things no one else understands, but this is-- this is new.

[He rubs at the back of his head.]

Oh. I'm Hiccup. [A pause.] I'm a dragon rider. It's a thing. I don't suppose you've seen a... twenty-foot-long black dragon around here? Has a red tail fin, eats fish, loves people?

Of course I'm... not sure where he'd hide, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Just to be sure.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

You're... Huh.

[his bright expression is quick to drop into skeptical confusion. he'll finally walk out from behind the comms, holding up his fingers as he counts.]

One, that's a strange name. Is that a nickname?

Two, I have not seen this dragon, unfortunately. But I will keep an eye out.

Three, I... [he pauses for a second. how to put this...] I think I should warn you, bluntly, that you might want to be a little careful with saying you're a dragon rider, because I know of at least one dragon around here who would take terrible offense at the implication.

[...he shrugs.] Then again, he's really easy to offend. I'm Robin, by the way. Like the bird.

[horrendous]

Nope, that's my real name. It's a Viking thing. Scary names ward off monsters.

[Robin is sassy. He can appreciate that. It's sad being the only Viking with sarcasm.]

Wait, what? There's a dragon here? [His eyes widen, and suddenly he's all excited.] What does he look like? How big is he?

[Oh. Manners. Yes.] Er, right. Nice to meet you, fellow kidnappee and engineering nut.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[he's... just going to ignore that Hiccup is perhaps the least-terrifying name he's ever heard. excitement is contagious. dragons are awesome. he grins pretty wide.]

He's huge. And there's a smaller one around somewhere, but-- Ah, I can't tell you any more than that! They're hiding. Secret identities. You'll have to find them yourselves.

[horrendous]

[Well it's certainly scary to trolls. After all, trolls didn't take his foot. Or his left socks. Since he doesn't wear those anymore.]

Hiding? How-- how in the world do you hide a dragon?

[Especially a HUGE one.]

Like, I've tried that before.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Well, they shrink down into... human...

[he's halfway through making a compressing motion with both of his hands as something suddenly occurs to him--and suddenly the last couple of comments from Hiccup make way more sense.]

Do dragons not look like humans where you're from? Ever?

[horrendous]

They what.

[He stares at Robin like the man just grew an arm out of his forehead.]

N... no. No, they don't. Not even a little bit. Not ever.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

[to be fair, Robin's skeptical squinting is a strong contender.]

That's... [he pauses. he thinks.] That got weird. Okay.

[horrendous]

[What the hell, Robin.]

It's been weird for a while to be frank.

[He's... thinking with his hands. Trying to articulate how fucking weird this is.]

Uh... What about dragon racing? Is that-- is that something I can talk about without offending this mysterious shape-changing dragon guy? Or is that a no.

[birdsbirdsbirds]

Probably not. [WELL, he... will at least go back to smiling, apologetically.] But he's also offended by strange looks and clashing colors, so maybe it's not actually worth it to bother tiptoeing around...

[maybe they should change the subject. he waves him towards the door to the hallway.]

Anyway, I'm also the captain--so I should probably show you around.

Re: 6/13ish

[wordmiser]

[Jinx gives their newest arrival in incredulous look.

Dude. Di you just seriously waste free food? Come on, man.]

[horrendous]

[That's not food, it's politely concentrated dragon shit. He blinks back at Jinx, though. Then gives himself a cursory glance to make sure his fly isn't open or something.]

Uh... greetings and salutations, stranger. I'm Hiccup.

[wordmiser]

[Salutations? Jinx tilts her head. She doesn't know that word. But she knows greetings. he must be the new arrival to their merry little band.

She bobs her head in his direction, more of a chin jerk than anything else.

Sup?]

[horrendous]

[Hiccup looks lost for a moment.]

You know... uh... when people give you their name, usually you give yours back?

[wordmiser]

[She lifts her eyebrows and blinks at him.

That so? She doesn't know where you come from, man, but names mean something she she does.

Laconic Smart people keep that short of shit close to their chest.]

[horrendous]

[...

...

...

...]

All right, the silent staring's getting a little bit creepy.

I'll just go look around. Okay? Okay.

[wordmiser]

[She watches him as she moves past, leaning just enough so they don't quite touch as she brushes past.

Okay dude. Sure. A last gesture over her shoulder in a general direction for the sense of good crew relations]

Kitchen.