Eleventh Flight. [glitched audio/brief video/action at Mahogany Inn.]

[newberktown]

▒▒or Almighty... Where d▒▒ ▒▒is storm come from all of ▒ ▒udden...?

[That sure is a familiar voice to some people in Johto, even as distorted as it is...

The speaker pauses, unsure not only of the weather, but the strength of his network connection as well. After gathering a breath, he continues on with the reason he started this recording in the first place.]

Er, hey guys? H▒▒▒▒ang stole my leg and took off a ▒▒▒▒▒ ago.

[There's another pause as a loud crack of thunder rolls by, followed by a bout of static.]

▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ink anyone should be outside, but if you can keep an eye out for ▒ ▒▒owlithe carrying something that looks like a foot, I'd appre▒▒▒▒▒ it. I thought h▒▒ ▒ome back, since it's raining, but I hav▒▒▒ seen him...

[Hiccup's face appears briefly as the feed freaks out one last time, looking just as it had three weeks ago when he had vanished without a trace. There's concern there over his current predicament, but he doesn't seem to be aware of his time away from Johto.]

Thanks anyway... I'll be in my room here if anyone in Mahogany finds him.

[ooc note: HEY WHAT'S UP, I'M BACK! Tags might be slow yet for a little while! Also (maybe?) posted early because I don't know what I'll all be doing today.]

Comments

[doitrockapella]

[Hey, Hiccup, speaking of thunder, have you ever heard the thundering footsteps and excited braying of a toddler Deino who just realized that after what seems like years and years of fruitless searching, she's suddenly found her warmthing?

Surprise. Incoming Beatle dragon is currently rebounding off of walls and other assorted hallway fixtures as she rushes down toward her goal. ETA: ten seconds. Assuming she doesn't run into another doorjamb.]

[newberktown]

[At first he thinks the rumble is coming from outside, but as the Deino nears and its cries are registered, it occurs to Hiccup that he knows just what this storm in the halls is. He turns just in time to see the dragon barreling towards him, but even that isn't enough to save him from toppling over, given his already-precarious situation.]

Abbie! [Both sets of fingers automatically move to scritch around the Deino's collar.] Hey, girl. Where'd you leave Carmen?


[He might be all smiles, but the Leavanny previously being used for support isn't nearly so cheered by the sudden emergence of the toddler.]

[doitrockapella]

[SO EXCITING. These relevant inquiries will have to wait a few minutes while Abbie excitedly nudges, nuzzles, and occasionally lightly headbutts Hiccup in her enthusiasm, because OH MY GOD OHMIGOD YOU GUYS THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY.

Shortly thereafter, it's Chief's turn to poke his head out to see what Abbie's getting up to, but rather than come down to intervene, he disappears again — and it soon becomes apparent why.]

...found her? Good. The last thing we need is to have her on the loose in a storm like—

[Because now it's Carmen's turn to make her appearance, and her attention quickly goes from the sight of her overenthusiastic dragon to the person she happens to be slobbering all over.]

...this...

[Oh, hi, son guy.]

[newberktown]

[Had Hiccup known he'd been gone for three weeks, the smile he gave Carmen probably would have been more sheepish, guilty. It's the same as ever, though, a little lopsided but bright as he greets her.

sup mom, how's your morning so far?]

Hey. Looks like Hookfang's not the only one worked up today, at least...

[He'd get up, but uh... The missing foot thing really just makes it easier to hang out down here by Abbie.]

[doitrockapella]

[Well uh it just got a lot better, thanks, kiddo.

All things considered, it's not exactly rare to see Carmen smiling. But the one that crosses her face as the realization sinks in — slow at first, and then suddenly pleased and warm — is one that very few people manage to elicit. But of course, Hiccup's always been something of a special case.]

You're —

[But she cuts herself off, because true or not, stating the obvious (you're back) would just be kind of pathetic right now. So instead she'll settle with a more vague, but equally...well, almost relieved, actually: ]

There you are.

[As she proceeds down the hall to investigate this missing foot business, and also to get in position to give him a hand up if he needs it.]

text, anonymous

[broomwithaview]

Hiccup! It's Kiki!

I'm glad you're back!!!!

text, anonymous

[newberktown]

Hey, Kiki, I'm glad I'm back, too. I didn't even know I was gone.

[punchandkiss]

...Hiccup?

[People had said he might come back, but she hadn't really believed it, and...there he was. Back in Mahogany? What? She looks so confused.]

[newberktown]

[Astrid's not the only confused one. He's almost grateful she's not there, as it means avoiding a good punch, but mostly he just feels kind of guilty.]

Uhmn, Hi... Astrid.

[H-he didn't mean it, okay?]

[punchandkiss]

...You're back? Are you in New Bark town? That's where everyone said you'd come back. Do you...do you remember?

[All of the questions are being asked! Punching will come later.]

[newberktown]

[That last one seems the most important to address first.]

Yeah, I remember. But I'm not in ▒▒▒ Bark--I'm still in Mahogany. [Pause.] I ▒▒▒n't even realize I was gone.

[heartdive]

Wow, I only got about half of that.

[newberktown]

[BIG SIGH.]

Yeah, it looks like th▒ ▒etwork doesn't really like ▒▒▒ storm.

[heartdive]

Gosh. I hope the power doesn't go out.

[newberktown]

[That's right, that was a thing that could happen with electricity...]

It'd be ▒▒en worse in Gol▒▒▒▒▒▒ City. I bet the pokemon w▒▒▒▒ ▒e able to help out, though.

[audio]

[pinnedbangs]

[He had heard that this guy (Hiccup was his name, right?) was gone. ...Not like he responded to the message when that girl posted it. He wouldn't know what to say to her anyway.

But here Hiccup was -- well, his voice anyway. Color him confused. But hey! This was a good thing!]

Can't understand a word you say, but it's good to hear you.

[audio]

[newberktown]

This storm wasn't exa▒▒▒▒ the welcome back party I was expecting. Not that ▒ ▒as expecting to need one in the f▒▒st place...

[thetruehistorian]

Someone... stole your leg?

[That gets a raised eyebrow.]

[newberktown]

[...Oh, right. That probably sounds weird.]

Er... A pokemon. And it's not my real leg, it's ▒ ▒▒osthetic.

[thetruehistorian]

▒▒

I hope yo▒▒▒▒ got a▒▒▒▒er way of moving ▒round.

[newberktown]

Sure. One of my p▒▒▒▒on has been helping me, and a friend o▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ lending me h▒rs to ride on for longer distances.

[HE IS NOT TOO OLD FOR PIGGYBACK RIDES.]

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[... c:]

[Coop has no idea why exactly Hiccup is back in Mahogany when all past experience dictates he should be back in New Bark, but he's not going to complain, exactly. He'll dig for details later, as well - for now, which is some time but not a while after that little gear message, he'll just go up to his room and knock on the door to greet him back.]</sub>

[newberktown]

[Even with his hobbling, it doesn't take too long for Hiccup to answer the door. He's been gone for three weeks, he figures. Why should he make people wait even more? He's fairly soaked by this point, having been on quite the scavenger hunt, and he leans against the door as he looks up to see just who his visitor is. The leg, while recovered, is not exactly at its most stable.]

Hello, Cooper.

[The greeting, while friendly, doesn't have its usual gusto--the combination of dealing with how his disappearance may have affected the others and running out in a storm to look for a mischievous dog had taken his mood down a notch or two. But he's happy to see the agent.]

[tapestodiane]

Hi there, Hiccup.

_{[He does take note of the general state of the boy, but you know what, soaked and kind of tired is better than not there at all. So he smiles, even if in a slightly subdued way as well.]}

I take it you're up to speed by now?

[newberktown]

[He nods, moving away from the door as a wordless invitation.]

Carmen told me. [Frown.] It's still hard to believe, though.

[He'd checked the date on the 'gear many times, once he had been left to his own devices. There was no doubt in what his friend had told him, but it was an awful lot of time unaccounted for, and he was just as baffled as everyone else.]

I'm sorry if I worried you, too.