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[ragnarsson]

Wait, so I just speak? That's how it works?...Fine...This is Ivar Ragnarsson. Do what you will.

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[ragnarsson]

[Ivar has to bite his tongue to keep from telling his father how much of a fool he thinks he's been. He's been playing with fire and now someone's been burned. His whole body stiffens up when he mentions Athlestan.]

He hurt Athlestan? [Whether Ivar wants to admit it or not, the priest had been worming his way past his defenses. He'd been a good listener and sympathetic towards Ivar without ever falling into pity or condescension. He felt the fury he'd been holding onto towards Dodger grow larger.

He's going to break the glass he's holding for sure if he keeps holding onto it, so he lets it go, gripping the edge of the table instead.]

You know, I've been thinking about skinning him alive for days now.

[There was that unstable look in Ivar's eyes now, the one that showed there were cracks inside his mind, driving him ever closer to insanity. He was usually better at hiding it around Ragnar, but not when he was getting this angry.]

[storradr]

[Ragnar nodded solemnly, quiet, contained fury behind his eyes. Dodger literally could have done anything else that didn't involve hurting his family and Ragnar would've forgiven him.

He tilted his head, silently contemplating Ivar's suggestion.]

That would... hurt him physically. [He pressed his lips together in a thin line.] He seems to like that...

[But Ivar's idea was all they really had right now.] He hates losing to you, I know that much. [It honestly felt like nothing they could do that would hurt Dodger as much as he'd hurt Athelstan.]

[ragnarsson]

[He doesn't envy Dodger at all right now. Ragnar's wrath could be a terrible thing. Though he'd been too small to remember it, Ivar had grown up on stories of what Ragnar had done to King Horik and his family when his own was threatened.]

He didn't seem to enjoy it too much when I took out his eye or being shocked by a bolt of pure lightning. Even he has a limit to his pain level.

[And Ivar is just crazy enough to keeping pushing and find out the pain level on his own. He pauses before he goes on, not knowing how Ragnar would react to the next part.]

There is one other thing he's afraid of. But I don't think you'll like it. I once threatened to take him by force. He was terrified because I think it's happened to him before.

[storradr]

Mm. [He nodded thoughtfully, pausing to take a slow drink of ale, obviously deep in thought and trying to weigh all their options out.

Ragnar didn't seem to react at Ivar's second suggestion, almost like he hadn't heard him until his gaze flickered up to meet Ivar's, eyes dark.] It is what he did to Athelstan, so, in this case, he would deserve it. It would be a just punishment.

... But he would burn you. And we would not want that. ... We could use something...

[He didn't relish any of this. In fact, it made him hate Dodger more that he'd forced his hand. In his mind, he had to take revenge for what he'd done to Athelstan. It wasn't a choice.]

I can have him meet me by the farm. You can stay out of sight at first. Bring whatever you feel you will need.

[ragnarsson]

There's something I can get that might help. It's a collar that turns off his powers and shocks him when he tries to use them.

[They'll have them at the police station. Ivar might normally not be able to get one on his own, but nobody was going to notice a little black squirrel sneaking in and snatching one away out the window.

If it wasn't already clear to Ragnar, his son would have done absolutely anything that his father asked him to do. Ivar was completely devoted to him in a way he wasn't with anyone else. The fact Dodger had hurt Athlestan was just more motivation for the unhinged young teen.]

I'll meet you there.

[And then Dodger was going to wish he'd never been born.]