[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

She huffed at the crashing waves on the beach, the movement of the murky liquid sending chills down her back. She grimaced at the inanimate life substance, before turning back to the misty forest and taking a step forward. She hated any form of water, but she had been putting up with this mist her entire life, so she was nearly used to it. Plus, it provided her with a little coverage, away from hunters and riders scoping for young adult dragons to either skin, or tame.

Her frills quivered as she shivered, disgusted when the mist touched her scales and skin. Her clawed feet made almost no sound on the leaves, and the folds of her wings contracted and expanded with her movements.

"You just had to leave me here, didn't you." she said to herself, slightly bitter at her parents. She loved them both, but her father's drowning made her deadly afraid to fly across the murky expanse, effectively trapping her on the small isle she currently occupied. "Maybe I should try.... But..." She hesitated, staying quiet until she reached the small cave she so endearingly called home. She would rest for now, thinking could wait.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought'

Hiccup
###
Sorry it took a while, I was having issues with the box code x.x

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Hiccup]

♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛

"Dialogue"

Thoughts

Chief of Berk

I am not throwing away my shot

He tried to make it a point not to return to this place, the encounter he'd had with Dagur had been more than enough motivation to avoid it like the plague. Of course, motivation was often not enough, especially when there was talk of a skrill hanging out around here. He really wasn't interested in trying to capture it, he was mostly concerned that maybe it was hurt, or in some distress, given the oddly avoidant behavior he'd heard of it showing. He patted the Night Fury's head as they came in a bit lower, "keep your eyes and ears open, alright Bud?" He let out a soft sigh, "I can't see a thing in this mist..." The Night fury gave an affirming sound, becoming hyper focused as he scanned the area for even a small sign of movement, twitching his ears and head which signaled the rider to angle them in that direction.

When he noticed the Night Fury's pupils thinning with intent, he took that as a sign that they were close, angling them down for a graceful landing, "remember, we're not here to capture or relocate this one, just observe." He had a small notebook in the satchel he often carried, for taking notes and making sketches if they managed to find the Skrill they were looking for.

He slipped off of Toothless' back and put an arm around his neck, relying on the dragon to guide them through the mist. He could remember his run ins with Skrill in the past, the wild dragon he'd met previously had been ill tempered, which he attributed from being frozen in ice for who knows how long, he was curious if this one would end up any less volatile, "we'll make a quick retreat if this gets too dangerous." He knew that between the two of them, they were much more prone to being struck by lightning, which could be doubly dangerous if this dragon was itching for a fight.

When he noticed the mouth of the cave yawning from the mist, he was immediately aware of the sleeping giant inside, lifting a hand for Toothless to tread lightly, "nice and easy, okay Bud?" His voice dropped to a whisper as he crept to the mouth of the cave, confirming that the dragon was a Skrill, one with a rather striking coloration. He was perhaps a little foolhardy as he slipped inside the somewhat small cave, trying not to nudge the dragon as he observed her.

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

Her frills twitched again, and her pupils constricted quickly as she whipper her head around, fear flooding her veins and freeing the blood found there.

'Intruders. Humans. Rider. 1 Rider, and a Dragon... A.. Night fury? I've never seen one personally... Heard they were supposedly extinct?'

Her mind was reeling, and she pressed herself further into the cave, her frills stretching, the pale reddish brown spikes flexing and trying to make her seem more threatening. A low growl emitted from her mouth, and she shuffled her winged forelimbs, trying to not show the nervousness and fear the rider brought with him into the cave.

Her past experiences with humans had been naught but painful, and she didn't much appreciate the fact that one was here, in her cave. Her home, that she'd worked so hard to conceal. A huff left her throat as she, apparently suddenly, remembered just how big she was.

'I... suppose I brought him here. I'm not exactly a terrible terror.'

Her conscious spoke dryly to her, and she let out a low, almost inaudible growl at her head, trying to shut it up. Once it was effectively quieted, she hyper-focused back on the human and his dragon, curious and fearful of his next movements.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought'

Hiccup

###

Didn't take that long this time :3

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Hiccup]

@tagged

"Hiccup"

Thoughts

"Toothless"

I am not throwing away my shot

He was immediately aware of the fear that crackled through the air from the dragon in front of him, and he dropped down to one knee in response, speaking in a soft voice, "easy, easy...I'm not here to hurt you, I'm not here to capture you." He suspected that was a fear most wild dragons carried nowadays when they saw humans, fearing capture by much more cruel hands. He gestured for the Night Fury to come close, sitting cross legged on the ground, "I only heard about you, I was curious." He didn't seem terribly afraid of her, despite his past experiences with Skrill, just watching her with a wide eyed curiosity, "I wanted to make sure you were okay." After a moment of what he meant as reassuring words, he got back to his feet, hefting a heavy basket off of the Night Fury's side and setting it down in front of him, tipping it with his leg to let her see the fish inside, "a peace offering." He offered a smile, backing up a bit to just outside the entrance of the cave.

When his rider was safely behind him, the Night Fury quirked his head with a curious expression, "he doesn't want to capture you." Hiccup watched with curious eyes as the Night Fury responded to the other dragon in that language he could never understand, he'd pulled his book out and started sketching the two dragons as he watched them.

"He heard that it seemed like you were trapped on this island." The Night Fury rumbled, "he only wanted to make sure you were not injured." He knew his rider could be a bit too reckless when it came to dragons, he was more than a little glad that the man had opted to give the Skrill space, there were some things only dragons could communicate, "what are you called?" He settled himself down in a sitting position, away enough that he wasn't crowding the other dragon, tail curled neatly around his feet, "are you hurt? Why do you stay here?" Questions questions, ones the Night Fury wasn't certain he'd get answers to.

Hiccup was more careful the second time he approached, simply coming to sit beside his dragon, leaning a bit against him, his posture was loose and relaxed, fairly confident that he could spring into action if he needed to.

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

Her rumbling growl stopped when the man backed off, kicking over a basket of...

'food'

Her mind raced, and her stomach let out a rather embarrassing gurgle as she looked away from the human and Night Fury. She vaguely understood what the man was saying, but she didn't bother trying to decipher words. She was far to tired for that.

Her frills flickered again, and she reached out delicately with her large head, taking a fish or two into her mouth and swallowing them quickly. She was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't poisoned, and quickly finished off the basket, licking around her jaws and letting out a pleased 'hrrrr,' before focusing on the Fury's words. she thought for a moment, before sighing heavily, her eyes suspicious, but slightly more trusting now that food had been exchanged.

"I... Figured your kind would be around soon."

She started out, hesitant to speak, before growling out more words, confident, and desperate for an outlet.

"I'm not injured, fortunately. And my name is Kiara."

She said, rather patient with the curious dragon. She rose the arches above her eyes in a gentle way, and rumbled her next words smoothly, a soothing lull to them.

"I cannot leave because I refuse to fly over the water.. My father drowned in those depths, and if I take flight over them, they'll make me join him."

She said carefully, keeping a careful watch on both dragon and rider from her position at the back of the cave.

"What are you called? And why exactly are you and your rider here? To find a kind Skrill?"

She asked, a bit snappy at the end, but her overall tone remaining smooth and unbroken, before she sat back, patiently awaiting a reply as she gently groomed her large, winged claws, preening the blade-like nail structures so that they remained shining.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought'

Hiccup

###

Didn't take that long this time :3

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Hiccup]

♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛

"Hiccup"

Thoughts

"Toothless"

I am not throwing away my shot

He was at least glad to see her willing to eat, which confirmed that she probably wasn't sick, she didn't seem to have any visible injuries...So why did she stay here? It wasn't an easy place to live, so high above the waters where fishing was difficult, of course there were other animals roaming the more heavily forested areas around them, but that wasn't nearly as adequate for a dragon as fishing...It only made his curiosity more heightened as he watched the Skrill carefully, eyeing Toothless as he started to communicate again.

"You've had troubles with riders before?" It was the best he could assume, given how wary and distrustful she was of them, and he understood it, though he'd never outwardly harbored any hostility to humans, he knew that many dragons had been deeply wronged by them, even he himself had been...His eyes shifted to the man leaning against him at this thought, he had every right to hate humans, "well met, Kiara, I am glad you're not injured." He met her eyes again, honesty in his words.

Somehow the revelation did not surprise him, Skrill were known to have a weakness to water, "that's understandable." He rumbled, tilting his head to the side, "but this is no place for any dragon to make a permanent home, sustainable for animals, but not so much for us." There was a sense of concern in his voice, worry over his fellow dragon earnest in his eyes.

Toothless nodded and looked to the side at his rider, "I'm called Toothless, and he's called Hiccup." He turned his eyes back to her, "we came because he was worried." He gave a soft, amused snort, "and curious, he heard from another rider of a Skrill that seemed stranded. He was very worried." That was Hiccup in a nutshell, more concerned with the well being of others than what danger it might pose to himself, "he has no intention of capturing you, he only wants to help." He did half hope that they could do something to help, though the fear was understandable, he worried for her wellbeing if she stayed downed here.

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

Her spines shivered again, each one vibrating and creating quiet 'shhhh...' noises against the light grey-blue of her neck. her lips peeled away from her teeth slightly as memories flooded her gaze, of humans in a boat not far off of the shore of her island, trying to kill and skin her.

"Hunters..."

Came her hiss, aggressive and scared. She knew they would be back for her, and that flying upwards wouldn't fix the problem forever, but her phobia of water crippled her, forcing her to stay along the banks of the isle, praying for a solution.

She glanced at the man leaned comfortably against the dragon in front of her, and her frill-like spines shook again, but this time, it was curiosity that caused the movement.

"I am glad I'm not injured too, if I'm completely honest... He... Doesn't force you to stay?"

She asked quietly. She had had many a dragon pass through, and many discouraged her contact with humans. But a few said they were peaceful creatures, and, while they used dragons as mounts, they also provided adequate shelter...

And companionship.

She was desperate for some sort of companionship. The large fae was tired of loneliness, and yet, here she lay, still all alone in her tiny cave on her tiny island.

Realizing that she had been off in her own thought trail, the Skrill focused back on The Night fury's words, glancing at his rider once more before honing in on her fellow dragon's face.

Hearing his statement about making a permanent home here, her spines stretched again in exasperation and anger, and her pupils constricted until they were naught but thin slits of shadowy black, staring the Night fury down.

"Don't you think I know that? That I just haven't been trying to get off this dingy isle? I pace, every day, hoping for such kind humans, to just lend me a hand. But what do I find? Humans that just want my scales, and are willing to kill for them."

She hissed out, stress in her smooth tone. She almost couldn't take it, and there were several days she just thought about hurling herself off one of the cliffs, and just be over with it.

However, she refused to give up. So she always pushed the thoughts away rather quickly.

Shaking her head slightly, she listened to the end of Toothless's statement, before shrinking back.

"Humans'... help has not been to kind to me as of late..."

she rumbled, uncertain and still wary of the man--Hiccup--in front of her, with Toothless.

"But perhaps... It's time to learn to live with these tiny creatures."

She said, partially resigned, and mostly curious.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought and Effects'

Hiccup

###

Ugh, long day lmao.

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Hiccup]

@tagged

"Hiccup"

Thoughts

"Toothless"

I am not throwing away my shot

The man at the dragon's side turned his head curiously as he watched the dragon's expression change, wondering for a moment what they could be talking about, Toothless' own nose wrinkled in distaste at the word and snorted out a response, "we're intimately familiar with hunters and their practices." He glanced to the side, at the human, "we've sunken their vessels before, freed dragons they've captured." He could remember every incident where Hiccup has proven that he was a friend to dragons, "my rider, he is not like most humans, our island is not like most settlements." He glanced back at her to meet her eyes at these words.

Her question gave him pause, and the black dragon turned to glance down at the human beside him, "no, I stay because I trust him." He flicked his tail to show the flash of red that marked his prosthetic fin, "I have every reason to not trust him, he did this to me." He let out a soft huff, that felt so long ago now, "but he earned my respect, he gave me the option to leave, he built me a fin that didn't require him to fly..." He carefully shifted so he could lay beside the human, Hiccup shifted a little to sit in the curl of his body, still watching the two carefully as he tried to figure out the situation.

"But I care for him, he taught me a lot, he taught his whole village to live as one with our kind." He didn't seem terribly intimidated when she reacted to his statement with anger, but Hiccup sat up and patted the Night Fury's side, "listen Bud...I don't know what you just said...But maybe...Maybe not say it?" He chuckled softly, then got to his feet, feeling like maybe he'd figured out what his dragon had learned way before him.

"it's the water, isn't it?" He spoke to the Skrill as he cautiously came closer, "you don't want to fly over the water?" It made sense, but posed different problems...Helping a human overcome a fear of water was one thing, but he'd never helped a dragon combat a phobia...He looked thoughtful as he studied her, "we can help, I'd like to try and help." He came closer as he spoke softly, reaching a gentle hand out to her, "no dragon should be trapped like this, what do you say we figure out out together?"

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

This went against everything she was taught as a hachling. And she shuffled backwards as Hiccup approached, a healed wound that had left a gashing scar on her side revealing itself at her jerky movements. The encounter with humans she only seeked help from was startlingly fresh in her memory, despite it's age.

"Your... trust? He hurt you. Took away your ability to fly unaided until recently, it sounds like. And yet... you still trust him?"

She rumbled, cautious. True, the small human man had injured her new companion, but... He didn't seem threatening?

It confused her, but she studied him for a while longer, frills twitching around the sides of her face as she thoughtfully listened to Toothless' words.

Then, Hiccup began to speak, and her attention snapped to him quickly, pupils dilating slightly to focus better on the human she was scooting away from.

When he extended his hand, offering something akin to help, as she was gathering from the strange sounds and tones leaving his mouth, she shuffled back further, her back pressed firmly to the wall of the cave. She wasn't so quick to believe humans would help her anymore, and it took her a good time before she finally released a huffing breath, leaning her snout forward slowly, inching her muzzle until it lightly tapped his palm. She hated that she needed help, but she'd take anything at this point, she didn't want to die.

She gave the pair a suspicious and fearful look, before huffing gently and closing her two-toned eyes, relaxing slightly. She didn't mind this contact. It wasn't anything like her previous encounter with Hiccup's kind, and was almost... nice.

"I hope you're right, Night Fury. Because if I'm harmed like those hunters did to me, you'll have a storm on your hands."

She rumbled against Hiccup's palm, her tone smooth and rolling, much akin to the storm she had just swore upon, should any harm come to her.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought and Effects'

Hiccup

###

Ugh, long day lmao.

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[Hiccup]

♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛

"Hiccup"

Thoughts

"Toothless"

I am not throwing away my shot

The Night Fury nodded, watching her carefully, especially when Hiccup began to approach her, "yes, he hurt me, he had me bound and helpless. He could have killed me." He arched his head thoughtfully, remembering that day fresh and new still in his mind, "he could have earned the respect of his entire village by bringing me to them." He shifted to his feet, coming closer as he watched his rider's movements carefully, and watched her's as well, "but he didn't, he couldn't. I saw my fear reflected in his eyes...He was alone, the same way I was alone." They were both wholly unique in their own differing ways, he supposed that was what had fostered the bond between them, there was an understanding and respect between them, "he isn't just my rider, he's my dearest friend."

Hiccup let out a soft breath he hadn't realized he was holding when the Skrill bumped her nose against his hand, smiling a little and running a gentle hand over her scaly skin, "good...Okay...We can figure this out together, alright?" He'd noticed the scar along her side when she'd moved earlier, and he didn't have to guess long before he came up with the cause, "dragon hunters are no friends of ours, we're not them." He promised, not looking thoughtful, "the easiest way to teach a child to swim or help a person overcome their fear is to slowly introduce them to it...Baby steps..." He knew neither dragon could entirely understand him, but he spoke out loud anyway, "so we could start at the lake?" He realized he wasn't even sure the extent of her fear, he would have to find that out.

Toothless nodded in response to her warning, a firm affirmation that he understood, "I would never lead a fellow dragon into danger," He gave a soft huff, "while I can't promise that this will be fun, he wont do anything that could harm you." He could promise that, at least.

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

She listened to Toothless, sighing heavily.

"I... Suppose you make a valid point."

She reluctantly admitted, her frills twitching as she leaned back, pulling her nose form Hiccup, but remaining within examining distance, just close enough that the human man would be able to examine her closer. She suspected that this was the first time he had been close to one of her kind that wasn't openly aggressive, as the few Skrills she had met all admitted to attacking humans on sight.

She wrinkled her snout at Hiccup as he tried to talk to them, tilting her head slightly to try and decipher just what he was trying to tell them. She didn't understand the language of humans, necessarily, but she had developed a knack for picking up on certain ques and tones they gave off when prattling off in that odd tongue of theirs, which helped her successfully, sometimes not so successfully, admittedly, get the gist of what they were saying. It was a good skill to develop, with all the hunters prowling around, and had aided her in avoiding the species altogether many a time.

She figured he'd try to start small. She already had, but it hadn't worked with her alone. Maybe the human would have other ideas she hadn't tried yet. She turned to Toothless, only knowing one body of water, that wasn't the sea, that was located anywhere close to them.

"I didn't figure it would be any bit of pleasant. So.. The lake then? Your human keeps looking off in that direction."

She said thoughtfully, twitching the arches above her eyes slightly as she observed the man. He was the first she had allowed so close, and she shifted her weight off the wall, feeling slightly more comfortable with another of her kind vouching for the small creature.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought and Effects'

Hiccup
###
Ugh, long day lmao.

[Hiccup]

@tagged

"Hiccup"

Thoughts

"Toothless"

I am not throwing away my shot

Toothless gave a soft rumble in response to her words, amused in the reluctance in that admittance, slightly amused. Hiccup was pacing now, studying the Skrill with a curious eye as he tried to formulate a plan of action in his head. Helping children learn to swim or get over a fear of water was fairly easy, it wasn't like it was a common fear for a fishing village, but it did crop up, and it was usually handled by slow introduction and positive reinforcement...But that was a small child...This was an enormous lightning wielding dragon, and there was another layer of respect that had to be given to the creature during this process, "lets take a walk to the lake." He supposed he would see how close to the water she was willing to even get, then he could figure out how to handle this.

The Night Fury got to his feet and turned to follow his rider as he stepped from the cave, looking back at the Skrill, "he wants to go to the lake." He confirmed what she'd said earlier, "if it helps...Hiccup isn't the best swimmer either." He eyed the metal leg with an amused snort, falling into step beside the Skrill if she indeed followed, "he lost his father to..." He turned his eyes away, "I killed him...It was an accident...But it was something I can't take back." He looked back up at his rider, "he could have hated me...But he didn't." He hung his head a little, a low sound like a mournful rumble in his throat, "he still trusts me, as much as he ever did before. That's why I stay." His eyes were warm, "he's my family."

Hiccup heard the gentle lapping of the water against the shore as the Lake came into view, shimmering just through the trees. He turned back at the pair, watching the Skrill's body language carefully, it was true that he didn't know nearly as much about the finer details of these dragons, due to their hostility to humans, but he knew general things, universal signs that crossed the borders of species. He didn't want to cause her more distress than he needed to, so he would stop walking when she began to look to upset.

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

The fae Skrill nodded wordlessly at Toothless. She hadn't known such companionship the two in front of her shared, and, while that saddened her, she felt like they could help her not only get off this isle, and to safety, but also possibly find someone or another dragon to possibly share her time with. That thought alone drove her, after a moment's hesitation, to let her winged talons hit the cave floor next to toothless with a soft 'click click' noise. The membrane on her large wings shivered with the force of her weight coming down on the appendages, but they held her up fairly easily, and she started her motion next to the Night fury without complaint.

"I... Haven't had anyone like your Hiccup. I've only my biological family, and even they weren't... one hundred percent in the mind."

She admitted slowly, fidgeting and sighing. They walked for a bit, her legs stiff and unused to the unnatural and awkward waddle she had to use to transport herself out of the cave and along the grass.

She envied Toothless's easy walk, and felt slightly embarrassed at her awkward movements, knowing she didn't look like the most graceful creature one could find on this isle. However, her waddle worked, so she used it.

She heard the lake before she saw it, and the lapping water made her shoulders and neck stiffen, her eyes constricting quickly as her breathing quickened. The water sucked at the land it touched, seemingly reluctant as is retreated, only to rush at the bank again, unforgiving. She shied away from the edge for only a second, before taking a hesitant step towards it, her frills flared out in an attempt to make herself seem threatening, a classic defense mechanism used to combat fear. Somewhere in her mind, she knew the water couldn't see her, but it made her feel better to know she at least looked frightening if anything within the blue depths got any ideas.

"S-so. Any ideas.?"

She asked once she cleared her throat, her deep voice cracking and stuttering as she continued to stare at the water, refusing to move her eyes from the surface. That substance had taken her father, and, to an extent, her mother too. She wouldn't fall prey to it as well, especially if she could help it. But she couldn't let this fear rule over her forever, and she knew at this point, that Toothless, at least, believed that his Hiccup human wanted to help her.

---

Text | "Speech" | 'Thought and Effects'

Hiccup
###
Ugh, long day lmao.

[Hiccup]

♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛

"Hiccup"

Thoughts

"Toothless"

I am not throwing away my shot

Toothless payed no mind to hey awkward gait, and neither did Hiccup, the Night Fury only turned to watcher as she spoke, nodding a little in understanding, "I know nothing of my family, when I hatched, I was alone, and alone I stayed until the night Hiccup downed me." He'd been avoided even by his own kind, stories spread through them as much as they did the humans, of a wild creature that could not coexist with anything but other Night Furies, "other dragons often hesitated to confront me, humans are not the only ones who spread rumors and tall tales." His tone was a bit amused as he said this, owning the reputation he'd once had, and probably still did have among dragons who knew nothing of him.

Hiccup noticed when her posture became much more defensive and threatening, not at him, or Toothless, the stance was clearly aimed towards the water, "it's alright, I'm not gonna make you get your feet wet just yet." He spoke as he came to his dragon's side, beginning to unhook and slip off the saddle and riding equipment, right down to the prosthetic on his tail, Toothless wiggled and shook a little when it was removed, eyeing the human curiously, "we'll go in first, alright, Bud?" He figured it couldn't hurt to at least let her see that they could go in without drowning, unstrapping and pulling off his own leather armor until he was down to a shirt and pants, it was as much another way to show that he trusted her as it was convenient for getting in the water, he was completely defenseless now.

Toothless took his words with an understanding rumble, looking back at Kiara before slipping into the water, which was fairly refreshing after such a long flight this way. The rider gave a reassuring smile, "the easiest way to get over your fear of something, at least in my experience, is to face it." He knew she only picked up some of what he said, so he let his actions speak louder and backed a little into the water.

MADE BY SUNBUNS

[♛𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖♛]

I AM A FOREST OF

DARKNESS, WITH SHADOWS FOR LEAVES

BUT HE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH, WILL FIND ROSES UNDER MY CYPRESSES

When Toothless dived into the water, after his rider had removed the countless leather straps and hard pieces laid across the dragon's back, Kiara let out a shrill whistle of fear, her eyes widening as her new friend vanished under the depths.

She took a step forward, searching the water for any sign of the onyx colored dragon, not even noticing that she had accidentally gotten too close, and the water was lapping at her winged talon, letting out a sucking sound as it made contact with the mud she was standing in. She let out another sound, this one almost a whine, and continued to search the depths, only sparing Hiccup a glance before going back to looking for Toothless with wide eyes.

That was how her father went, trying to prove that the water was a harmless element that they, as Skrills, just had to put up with. She wouldn't lose another friend to the water, and so she paced restlessly on the shore, watching closely for Toothless's head to pop up. He and Hiccup had been the first two to actually care about her... situation, and she hated that they seemed to not care at all about the deadly potential of the substance they had just submerged themselves in.

Her gaze flickered back to Hiccup when he started into the water as well, and she gave her head a sharp shake, a 'clack' and whistle escaping her lips in warning. She knew her fear was needless, she knew. But She couldn't help the ice cold grip it held over her heart when she was around water, and right now, that icy fist was squeezing her heart until it almost burst, drumming heavily into the walls of her rib cage as they played in the same thing that had taken her family from her.

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Text | "Speech" | 'Thought and Effects'

Hiccup
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Ugh, long day lmao.