A convenient excuse. [After the planetside mission]

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

A scream of raw, Viking fury ripped through the hallways cut painfully short and then a sickening dull "Thud"

To any who happened to be close enough to watch it happen a smoldering blackened bundle of flesh and hair came flying out of a suddenly open hole in the wall, that just as suddenly closed behind her. A trail of smoke followed the screaming roaring body as it shot across the hallway and slammed into the wall before falling backwards to the floor and laying there dazed.

Ruffnut looked and felt like she had been on the receiving end of a burn ward's top ten list as lightning crackled and raced along her body. Her fists were balled up so tightly the knuckles were white.

As an after thought, GLaDOS re-opened the portal Ruffnut had made her abrupt exit from and spat out her helmet which clattered loudly next to her.

Uttering some words that her parents would have smacked her if they'd heard she lay there smoking as she caught her breath and regained her strength. Not yet aware that she had finally escaped the tests that she'd been abducted for RIGHT AS SHE WAS LEAVING THE SHIP TO GO ON THE MISSION WITH EVERYONE!

So full or rage...and ouch. Rage and ouch.

Comments

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Zouichi happened to be wandering through the halls in just the right time and place to see Ruffnut careening out of the portal... and hear some of her swearing. He approached her quickly, concerned. "Miss, are you all right? What happened?"

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut's head popped up, hair shaking off the burnt tips of it and blinked confused at the voice. "I'm out?" She asked carefully before sitting up and pumping her fists in the air. "I'M OUT!" Followed shortly by her doubling up and clutching at her sides. "Ow ow ow" She began to laugh with joy broken up by her pain. "Hahaha ow, hahahaow."

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

Well, she seemed energetic enough, although he still had no idea where she'd come from or why.

"Careful, try not to move around too much." He offered her a hand to help her up. "Where did you come from? It looked like you just appeared out of nowhere."

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut took his hand and yanked herself roughly to her feet. "I dunno there was this stupid voice telling me I had to do these tests and she kept promising cake but I never got any!" She punched a hand into fist and sparks scattered from where the connection was.

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

He took a preemptive step back at the sudden appearance of the sparks coming off her hands. She was obviously very incensed about there not being any cake.

"Tests? ...oh, you were kidnapped by GlaDOS? You look like you made it all out in one piece, at least."

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

That earned a look of annoyed confusion, "What and the who? Gally?" She looked back at the hole accusingly. "That stupid thing tried to kill me! Like...alot!"

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"GlaDOS. I was told it was a shipboard artificial intelligence that routinely abducts members of the crew and performs tests on them. Particularly if your soul seems in danger of detaching."

He glanced back at the portal, curious. "But I didn't think it tried to kill people."

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

She had looked for her everywhere, actually. After the insanity that was quality time with the crew members and their marriage fest, she was looking for a person that was completely the opposite of that. All of that good will and no fighting: that was NOT her idea of a vacation. Sure, she'd gotten to buy a few things (for certain people), but now she just wanted to find her freaking partner and just beat something up.

And none too soon too: there came a spat out person right in the hallway, and they looked worse for wear. She Gave a closer look and saw it was Ruffnut, exactly who she was looking for.

And promptly laughed.

"What the hell?" She said, snickering. She bent over to pick up the helmet, and spit on her hand to put out a spark starting to form at the end of one of Ruffnut's braids. "Were you taking on Stacy permanently or something?"

For her part, Hit Girl looked surprisingly refreshed, but bored.

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut's eyes were crossed and she shook her head to clear it. "I dunno I was on my way off the ship and then suddenly like...there was this room and this voice. This annoying computer voice thing that was telling me I had to do stupid tests." She growled and then winced still sore from her landing rubbing her backside as she struggled to her feet.

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

Hit Girl shook her head and helped Ruffnut up, and was shaking the burn ciders out of her hair.

"I don't get how you do this," she chuckled, brushing the bigger chips off. "But at least you had something to do. I just like, got married and did shopping or whatever.

She shrugged and motioned to two boxes on the floor. "Like those. They're yours."

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

"Married?" Ruffnut asked looking both confused and somewhat dissapointed that she had missed the nothing that happened. However her mood was instantly lifted when she was given gifts. "What?" She knelt down and began tugging at the boxes trying to open them so fast she risked shredding them.

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

"Take a look," Hit Girl said. They actually contained sturdier leggings, a decently insulated scabbard, but the crown was a two pair of gauntlets that were bronze with a precious yellow jewel in each.

"They all right?" Hit Girl asked. "There wasn't much in weapons, so..."

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

"Whoa!" her eyes were the size of dinner plates and she looked up from them, "These are really for me?" She looked back down at the items in disbelief, "But I didn't get you anything!"

[nobel-berserker.livejournal.com]

"Whoagh!"

Technically that wasn't a word, but it just about summed up Allenby's feelings on seeing an angry teenage Viking shoot out of the wall. Smoldering. People were NOT supposed to look like that.

Allenby stared for a split second at the heap of... person before running over. "What the hell was that? Are you okay?!"

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut's eyes seemed to be spinning in place but she shook her head to clear it and grabbed at one of her braids where the tip was glowing with heat. "Stupid computer lady!" She cursed again and coughed out a cloud of smoke. "Thinks she can keep me trapped, I'll show her!" She was still a little confused.

[nobel-berserker.livejournal.com]

"What computer lady?" Allenby was equally baffled, although she had the advantage of not, apparently, being on fire. She fanned at the smoke and crouched in front of the girl, waving a hand in front of those spinning eyes.

This was really pretty weird. But if she was lucid enough to talk, that was supposed to be a good sign, right? "Listen, kid, what happened to ya? Did you get into some kinda crazy fight or what?"

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

"The, the computer lady!" Ruffnut proclaimed loudly turning to face this newcomer only just realizing she was there. "You know the voice thing! Someone called Stacy a monster called a computer but this voice was different!"

She pointed accusingly at the wall where the hole had been. "I was about to go on the mission and then suddenly I fell through this wall and was in these mazes with this voice talking to me and telling me about cake and stuff!"

[nobel-berserker.livejournal.com]

Allenby decided to stop trying to decipher the first sentence and just focused on the last chunk of what the girl said. "What do you mean you fell through the wall? That shouldn't be--" She looked back at the spot the girl was pointing to.

"So you had to go through mazes and... cake?" Allenby scratched her head. "What time durin' that did you catch on fire? Was it booby-trapped or somethin'?"

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut shook her head, "I had enough of her crap so I decided to blast my way out." She held up a hand and a ball of pure lightning formed in it crackling dangerously.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

He caught her later after she'd talked to everyone. He'd been looking for her. He was carrying something. Bundles of somethings.

"Sooo. Hi."

How exactly did you start a conversation like this? 'Hi, sorry about that demonic possession thing'?

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut yelped and spun around so fast her helmet kept spinning even after she stopped. "You!?" She spat out in a startled higher pitch and looked around sharply bracing herself, "Where's Astrid?!" Apparently despite preparing herself for weeks for the showdown with her fellow warrior woman she didn't want to be caught off guard.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"She's off...somewhere. Trust me, she wants to talk to you, I think she's just trying to wait until she doesn't want to be physically violent." Hiccup let out a light whoosh of air. "Which means she might be waiting a looong time."

He held out the packages.

"Here. Got you these."

When she unwrapped them, she'd find various footstuffs--like what could be found back home. Comfort food, as it were.

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut stared blankly at the food, then at him, then back to the food again.

"For me?" She asked disbelieving. "Everyone keeps bringing me stuff." She noted and glanced at a new pair of gauntlets as well.

She packed he food back tucking it under her arm. "Um...thanks?" She felt so awkward and confused about it she had almost completely forgotten why she was so nervous to confront him in the first place.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Listen, Ruff," Hiccup said, sucking in another deep breath. "Eventually you're going to have to settle things with Astrid--and how that goes down isn't my business. But I'm sorry for...for the thing. And...toying with you. I was possessed and you know, it wasn't like I was making my own choices, but it still used...some of my anger and stuff like that to hurt you guys. So I'm sorry for that."

He swallowed.

"And I don't--you know I don't--feel that way towards you, but!" He added quickly. "I want you to understand that...that if I wasn't, I mean--"

Gods, there was no way to not be awkward about this, was there.

"Someday, you're going to find someone that... you know. Because you're great in a lot of ways, even if maybe not the ways I need in someone, okay? And anyway, you're my friend. I do consider you my friend, and you're tribe, so even with what happened--you're not alone here, and you're never going to be. Astrid's mad, and I'm pretty sure even she feels that way."

[ruffntumblenut.livejournal.com]

Ruffnut went through a blur of confusing emotions, she wasn't very good with them in the first place and now to have them pouring in so hot and fast? It was almost more then she could deal with.

Ha ha! He's totally dumping on you! Tuff's voice mocked in her imagination, You're getting shot down by Hiccup! HICCUP! Remember him? Worst Viking ever?

That shook her out of it because everyone knew how true a viking Hiccup was after he'd saved them.

"Don't..." She started unable to meet his eyes and waving a hand to get him to shut up. "I kissed you...or that thing that was in you...whatever. I did it. I knew better. I'm dumb." She growled frustrated and electricity began to race along her arms. The food in the package would be "Well done" when she next looked at it.