[closed] The first time I realized I was living in this world

[thisisamazing]

Who: Newt Scamander and Hiccup Haddock
When: Mid-month
Where: Out in the wild.
What: Newt and Hiccup take their Wilders recruitment challenge.
Warnings: Crazy flora and possible battle against bird shades.


[It seemed like a no-brainer. The first time Hiccup heard about the Wilders, he knew that sounded like something he wanted to do, something he would be good at. He knows he's stuck here for the time being, at least until someone discovers how to reverse whatever happened with the mirrors to send the haphazard group back. He's a little anxious about being away from Berk (at least, at being away far enough he can't just fly back within a few days), but he has faith that Astrid will keep it together for him, with Gobber's help and his mother's help.

So, for now, he's trying out for the Wilders. He doesn't have a very good grasp on magic yet (even for the basics), but he knows he's got other talents - and some help, in the form of a Night Fury. When he hears that try-outs must be undertaken in pairs, contacting Newt seems like an obvious choice. They get along well, they both like creatures, they're both the studious type. He thinks it'll be a beneficial partnership.

One of the Wilders leads them out to an area thick with vegetation, all kinds of plants that Hiccup has never seen before in his life. He's trying to pay attention, of course, but he's also obviously fascinated by the flora, looking around with wide eyes, keeping one hand on Toothless so he doesn't wind up wandering off. The dragon is less intrigued, more disgruntled, occasionally sneezing or rubbing at his nose with his foreleg.

As the Wilder starts to give them their assignment, Hiccup whips out a little journal from his saddlebag and a stick of charcoal, writing down the plants they need to retrieve.] Okay, firelight flowers, orapples, and pickapeppers. Two of each.

Comments

[newtralize]

The descriptions are nice, but seeing it firsthand and how the infected flora and fauna would be ideal. If we can see it, we can have a better idea as to how it might effect other plantlife that's similar to them or see where there might be similarities and what the differences are. [Newt was very much interested in learning all the life around them. It was important for him to learn what he could work with and how.]

A niffler. Goblins like to use them to find treasure due to their affinity to shiny objects. They're good for searching. A bit of a menace at times though, because they'll pilfer anything they can get their bloody hands on. [He shakes his head a little.] But he's smart. He knows better to come back while we're out here. In the city though, not quite so much... [He's had to be very careful about Harry since arriving.

Greg glances around them as they walk but starts growling a bit at some point.] What's wron-

[Look. Fireflight flowers are probably one of the easier flora for them to find, but that's because the infected ones were quite huge. If they grew to waist height normally...

That would most definitely mean the infected ones basically will tower over them.] Ah...

[thisisamazing]

Wow. We have dragons a little like that - Armorwings are attracted to anything metal, they add whatever they can find to their protective coverings, and the Sandbuster collects treasure. [Including, almost, his betrothal gift to Astrid once. Yikes. He's content to carry on conversation at least until their party stops short, Greg growling and Toothless putting himself in front of Hiccup, tensed and focused.

Yeah. Those are definitely the Fireflight flowers, and they're definitely infected. They tower like small trees, glowing softly, a dangerous presence even though nothing has happened yet.]

Gods. They do get big. [He's never seen flowers that massive in his entire life.] We should keep the animals back. I can probably get close enough to take a piece for your samples? [Supposedly they explode or burst into flames or something when they're infected, but Hiccup has his armor, protected by dragonscale.]

[newtralize]

Fascinating. Truly fascinating. I would love to hear more about the dragons that you've come across sometime. They're so very different from what I'm familiar with. [Newt's interests are completely piqued. Of course, this is unsurprising for someone who spent his entire life being in creatures of all kinds.]

These are impressive sizes. [He doesn't make any attempts to get any closer yet with the way Greg's tail curl around the group. Almost protectively.] I- No. I think we'll just take some extra healthy ones. I fear that trying to take anything infected would be frowned upon and I worry about taking anything into the city when it can affect others negatively. If anything, if I wanted to observe them again I could easily return here. I'd like to see the effects of them exploding, but I think it's best we don't risk bringing them back.

[Perhaps if his magic was more developed here that he feels like he could set up a sterile area and avoid any form of contamination. As it is though.] Well, finding healthy ones will certainly be convenient. They won't be the size of, well, those.

[thisisamazing]

We'll have to get together sometime just to talk creatures. You've obviously seen a lot more different species of animals than I have. [It sounds like a fun time to him, for some other time once they've completed this little mission.

He nods to that, though. It probably isn't a good idea to try to get any samples of the infected flowers, at least not without knowing what the proper precautions to take are.] You're probably right. We'll at least jot this down on the map, and we can revisit if need be. [He flips open his journal and quickly sketches in a few directions on a rough map of the immediate area, marking down a few landmarks.] Maybe we can come back later and explode one, without the animals with us. My armor is dragonscale; it's fire-resistant.

[He doesn't want to risk anything that might infect Greg or Toothless or any of Newt's other companions, but he is also interested in seeing what happens when one of those things goes off.

A laugh.] They'll still be pretty big, for flowers. C'mon, let's keep going, there have to be some uninfected ones somewhere nearby. Toothless, be careful through here, don't knock into any of them, okay?

[newtralize]

Oh, I would love that. [It's said so earnestly too. He really would love to talk more.] I might have a tendency to ramble though. I do apologize... [He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. When he says might, he actually means that he most definitely will talk your ear off.]

Yes. I'd like to see the effects and study the limits of it. [Knowing about how far the blast radius can get among other things would be beneficial information he thinks. They'll know how close they can get and still be safe, but it also means knowing how to make use of it too.]

They're quite big. I don't think I can think of a breed of flora that I recall getting to such a size. [Harry eventually scurries back to them and Newt scoops the niffler up into his arms as they keep going. Greg stays very far from the infected flowers; fur still raised and hissing at them a bit. The zouwu only seems to eventually calm down as they continue away from the infected ones and to areas where the flowers are much smaller in size. Healthy ones that haven't been infected yet.]

[thisisamazing]

Don't worry about it. I'm, uh- well, when a friend and I get going on something exciting, we ramble a lot too. [Everyone knows better than to get in the middle of him and Fishlegs when they're talking out a new species of dragon or observations or new inventions.]

They're almost more like- little trees than flowers- [He starts, unable to help himself - he veers a little closer to some of the infected ones than the rest of the party, though he still doesn't get close enough to touch, even accidentally. He just wants to get a really good look. Occasionally, he'll stop and scribble some things in his journal.] But I'm not as up on botany as my friend is- the uh, the one I usually talk with about this kinda stuff. [Toothless has a flat look of distaste on his face as he plods along, more quietly agreeing with Greg's assessment - this stuff is bad news and their humans are dumb.

Finally, the infected ones seem to thin out, and-] Oh, there! Those are much smaller, they must be fine.

[newtralize]

Little trees that combust, so I don't think I would trust them to shade me. [Of course, Newt has seen enough odd flora and fauna within the magical world that this is hardly the most concerning thing he has come across in his travels.] Learning the environment was something that I merely picked up since it helped understand the creatures I studied. Also, a little bit of herbology knowledge helps when you're out in the wild and on your own.

[Greg's agitation seems to diffuse when the plants start to decrease in size and they find themselves in the midst of a plethora of healthy ones. Ones that won't...explode in their faces. Probably.] Ah yes. These should be good to harvest and bring back. Let's go out a little farther just in case. We don't know how immediate infection might take and if maybe they're just not exhibiting signs yet or not.

[thisisamazing]

Yeah, definitely. I can identify plenty of significant plants in the wild, dragonroot and blue oleander and stuff, but I never really dove much deeper than that. Maybe I should one of these days. [Hiccup stoops a little to look at the petals on a smaller specimen, studying the striations in the color and the texture.]

These don't give off heat like the infected ones. The glow is intense, though, wow. [Toothless snorts, almost seeming to roll his eyes, and then he nudges Hiccup along. Apparently he agrees with Newt that they should move a little farther out for samples. Hiccup just laughs.] Okay, okay!