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[Toothless almost seems a little surprised at the introduction of sorts, blinking big green eyes at Jin Guangyao curiously, and settling back on his haunches. He's very, very big like this, towering even over Hiccup's 6'1", and... he mimics the bow, clumsily and twice (not seeming to get the bow to each person part), grinning a big gummy grin after he does it. Did he do right??? Is good??? Greet human??? Hiccup tries very hard not to roll his eyes, stifling a smile.] Alright, well, he'll be doing that for the next week.

Nah, don't worry about it! Sword-smithing is honestly pretty quick and easy for me, I uh, I grew up making weapons. [He waves off the concern, and then leads him over to the nearest bench to sit down. Hiccup digs out some paper and some sticks of charcoal to get started, though he looks up when Jin Guangyao mentions his brother.

...He assumes his actual brother. It's not so strange, Newt's brother is back after all.] Oh, your brother is here too? It's lucky to have family around. I imagine it helps with the adjustment.

[Jin Guangyao almost isn't sure what to think when the dragon tries to bow back but he'll give the creature the warmest of smiles either way. It's... sweet, he supposes? Did good, Toothless, did good.]

Sworn brother. [He amends with a smile.] It isn't really a common thing here, is it? But yes, I'm glad to know he's there and he's been very helpful since my arrival.

[He says, glossing over the complications easily - as well as glossing over his other sworn brother. Actually, the reality is there are so many complications and problems... that nobody in this world needs to know about.]

[Toothless seems pleased, 'smiling' back, and then returns to all fours, easily distracted by someone familiar passing by farther down the street. Hiccup just shakes his head as he watches his dragon go to greet the old woman, a refugee from Dorchacht they'd had some interactions with.]

Sworn? No, uh- not that I know of. But it's good to have someone still! [Someone you knew beforehand. Hiccup is glad to have Toothless but he would have loved to show up here with Astrid, or Fishlegs, or even Snotlout. Things might have been easier if he hadn't been alone initially.] That's always good. [Except when it's not but hahaha.] Who is he? I might know him, actually. I've, uh, I've been here since the first group, so... I know a lot of Mirrorbound.

[But he's fine to gloss over that if he doesn't want to say. They're here for a reason, and Hiccup starts to lay out a few things - what looks like a sword hilt from his belt, paper and charcoal.] But, I don't want to keep you, so- should we get started?

[He can't possibly imagine Lan Xichen making a poor impression on anyone here, and he's already met another person that knows him. His other sworn brother, well, that might be a different story.]

Lan Xichen. You might also know him as Zewu-jun. If you have met him and seen the style of sword he carries, it might make the explanation a little simpler.

[His eyes light up with recognition at the name, and he nods.] Zewu-jun, yes! He comes down to the forge fairly often. I bet he's a great sworn brother to have, he's really nice. [He actually gave Hiccup love advice once and that somehow started up their friendship.] I haven't seen his sword up close, but I can ask if he'll let me have a look sometime.

It's sort of a slender blade, though, right? Like- [He does up a quick sketch, without details, of the blade shape he vaguely remembers.]

[Jin Guangyao smiles warmly at Hiccup's reaction.]

Rather like that, yes. He might be sensitive about it, so perhaps best not to enquire too much about his sword if he seems reluctant. Besides which, the smaller details are less relevant. I certainly don't need a blade quite as fine as that. [He might have very fancy-looking robes, but what he doesn't have is a lot of money here. He seemingly sheepishly admits:] I can hardly afford anything beyond practicality at the moment, I'm afraid, and am in no position to be too particular.

[Actually he probably can't even afford that at the moment but it'll take a little while to have a sword made, and he can try to find work in the meantime.]

Oh. Okay then, I'll, uh, keep that in mind. [He isn't sure why Lan Xichen would be sensitive about his sword, of course, but- well, it's a sword, and Hiccup's not an idiot, he's a weaponsmith, he knows what kinds of things a sword is usually for.

But he does wave off those concerns like it's no big deal.] Don't worry about that, you're a friend of Zewu-jun's and he- he gave me some good advice not too long ago, so I owe him one. I don't do this for money anyway. [He's dressed in old wool and leather and smells like smoke, one probably would not guess he's independently wealthy in Aefenglom - and not because of the forge.

He pushes a fresh sheet of paper and the pencil across to Jin Guangyao.] Give me an idea of what kind of blade you're used to.

[More of that slightly embarrassed smile as he opens his mouth to speak and... ah, yes, well. Don't think he hasn't noticed Hiccup's leg, and so he doesn't keep hiding away the the obvious lack of one hand when he pulls his sleeves back. The one hand he does have reaches out to take the pencil and, with some effort, sketch out a middling-long blade. Off-handed, it's still passable but the lines not as clean as he might have drawn otherwise.]

Unfortunately, my former sword would be impossible to match. It required spiritual power to make proper use of, and that seems to have left with my arrival in this world. But as long as it's straight double-edged jian sword, like so, it won't make a difference for basic technique.

[And maybe make the hilt reminiscent of Hensheng, because it really had been such a good sword for him. It was simply a shame about the details.

[Hiccup's excitement only sobers slightly, and he does glance down when Jin Guangyao's sleeves pull back. There is only a hint of thoughtful concern in his gaze; it's not like he's a stranger to lost limbs, hands, feet, coming from Berk and after his run in with the Red Death six years ago. He takes up the sketch when the other finishes, and studies it, adding a few of his own notes to the margins of the paper.] Double-edged jian sword, got it. That shouldn't be too difficult. But-

I don't know if I'd say impossible? I do enchantments on weapons as well. If you want to tell me about it, I could give it a shot, see what I can come up with.

[And then he pauses, wondering if he should ask. If it'd be rude. Maybe not everyone is as used to loss as his people, but he couldn't help but notice the effort it took to put pencil to paper. Hiccup is hesitant, but finally asks, pencil tip to his lip,] Sorry, this is probably- You don't have to tell me anything, but, you lost your dominant hand? [It could factor into ensuring a good balance for his new sword, right?

Even if his mind wasn't already working.]

Yes, not so long ago. [In Jin Guangyao's mind, ever aware of external criticism and scorn, it look like the mark of some thief or criminal, to be missing a hand. So he feels obliged to explain a little, even if that explanation is skirting the truth by a reasonable margin.] A villain wanted something valuable I was unwilling to let go of and took a rather extreme approach to steal it from me.

It'll take some practice to recover some degree of skill again, but I'm trying to look towards the future. [He adds, doing his best to sound as if trying to be optimistic, glancing down at the place where that missing hand should be. A future with an opportunity to get retribution on Lan Wangji someday as well, perhaps.]

As for the details of my former sword, well, it was rather unusual even there. The blade was flexible, so that it could be wrapped around a person's arm or waist and stay there without a scabbard. Appling a little additional energy could make it cut through whatever it wrapped around. [He explains, clearly not expecting too much on this matter at least.] It all seems complex for an enchantment. Since I don't have spiritual power here, let alone the ability to cast local spells, I'm not sure how such a thing would work for myself, even if it could be done.

[Hiccup's little smile is empathetic, a little embarrassed with himself for asking.] Of course. No, you- you definitely don't have to explain anything to me. [He gestures down to his own replacement leg, unashamed of it.] I nearly fell into a dragon's mouth when I was fifteen. It's- it takes getting used to. The only reason I ask is-... have you looked into a prosthetic yet at all? [That's... probably too forward. Hiccup is a forward person. Once his brain gets going there's no stopping it, and he wonders if he and Percy could make something useful for a change, instead of trying to figure out what part of the city still needs a ballista. (Nowhere. Nowhere needs a ballista. They've built two.)

But sword enchantments are a safer topic, and one he's well familiar with by now.] You know, I- I've done something... similar. Not quite the same thing, but I made an arakh for a dear friend, that's a sword with a big curve in it like so- [He scribbles out a rough approximation on the corner of a sheet of paper.] -and I enchanted it so that the blade would be able to retract into the hilt, for easy concealment. The shape of it meant I couldn't do it mechanically, like my Inferno, so the metal needed to reshape itself. If I changed some things and added some new runes, maybe...

[He jots down a few notes for himself, tip of his tongue poking out thoughtfully.] Mm, you'd be able to use it. Enchantments like mine can be activated by anybody, you'd just have to have the stored magic recharged by a Witch every so often; I could show Zewu-jun how, or you could just come by the forge when it needs it. I don't mind topping it up.

As long as it could be used normally if the enchantment ran out at an inopportune time, I certainly won't pass up anything you'd be willing to try. [Jin Guangyao bows his had a little in appreciation before glancing at that missing hand again.]

I have only glanced at prosthetics, but the expense was too great for anything that didn't seem overly fake. I would rather not have anyone notice, if it could be helped at all.

Yeah, I can give it a try. Just give me a couple of weeks and I'll see what I can come up with. [He folds up the papers he's drawn and taken notes on, and slides them into his leather vest for safekeeping. Eventually they'll get pinned up on his wall of projects at the forge.

He lets out a considering hum.] Come by the forge sometime, meet with me and Percy - the man who runs it with me, my- my friend. He does amazing clockworks, all kinds of little moving parts, and I'm pretty old hat at enchantment work by now. We might be able to help. No charge, I'll fund it. Having to- to pay for a replacement limb, it's not right.

You're entirely too kind, Young Master Hiccup. My brother told me that people in this world were kind, but I truly could not appreciate the depth of generosity that I would be shown.

[Apparently a little overwhelmed, he actually stands back up so that he can bow properly this time, though admittedly one hand simply has to touch the sleeve of the the other arm.]

Oh, yeah, he's- I guess this isn't- [Lan Xichen had thought it too generous too when Hiccup had given him a gift basket, as thanks for the advice he gave. Where they come from must be kind of bleak, he thinks privately.] Look, it's, it's really nothing! This is just how we are where I come from. We help each other when it's needed. It's neighborly.

[So pls... no bowing... it's weird...]

[Jin Guangyao smiles warmly at that.]

I can think of no better neighbours to have, then. I can only hope to match the spirit of your generosity someday. I don't have much to offer as it stands now, but please, if there is ever any way I can repay you, don't hesitate to ask.

Don't worry about it, really. [For all his nasally stutter sometimes, he sounds firm on this, smile genuine. He really is just a friendly country boy.] I know what it's like. [To lose something as close to you as a part of your body. To have to adjust in the aftermath. It was a big boost, for Gobber to have a serviceable leg already waiting for him when he woke up from his near-coma, but that's how things are on Berk. It's a little disappointing to know it's not how it is here, but this gives them an opportunity to do something for the community, something necessary.]

I just hope we can come up with something useful.

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