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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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Audio; @the.boneless

[ragnarsson]

[He knew this was coming sooner or later. Frankly, he was still mad at his father, but at the same time, he missed talking to him. So his voice is carefully neutral when he answers.]

Where?

and to action~

[storradr]

The drinking hall by the barracks. I will see you soon.

[Ragnar was already heading in that direction and had a table, a pitcher of ale, and two glasses waiting when Ivar arrived. He looked like his usual self, the small cut in his ear was still visible, though it was almost healed and gone, and, knowing Ivar, he'd likely see the subtle, well hidden, signs that Ragnar was feeling stressed and worn out.]

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar arrived, taking in his father's appearance. For a moment, he flashes back to the sight of seeing his father after he had been gone for ten years: how he seemed to have lost some vital spark that kept him going. He had seem so worn out. But Ragnar has years to go before he reaches that point and still has plenty of life left in him.

He poured himself a glass of ale, drinking it partway down before he spoke. Ivar always had a very expressive face, and while his eyes are trying to look hard as ice, there's something very vulnerable in his gaze, sadness that has yet to lift.]

You got me. Say your piece.

[storradr]

[Likewise, Ragnar also had a carefully neutral expression. He hadn't poured himself any ale yet, waiting until Ivar had done so before he reached for the pitcher to fill his own glass, drinking unhurriedly before setting it down.]

Now that you have had some time to let your temper cool, I wanted to speak with you.

[He had some ulterior motives where this conversation was concerned, but that could wait.]

You are calm now, so talk to me about Dodger. Obviously, you were concerned and angry enough to do what you did. I am sure you had a reason.

[ragnarsson]

[Now that he's not throwing what was essentially a temper tantrum with knives involved, Ivar can at least give fair warning as to why he was upset and worried about his father getting involved with Dodger.]

I've known him longer than you and I can tell you he's like a fire. He burns up whoever he touches. He cares for no one but himself and is set on a path of self-destruction. His goal seems to be to take as many people with him before I finally get around to killing him.

[This last part is simply stated as a goal like anything else Ivar has set out to achieve. He looks down. The hand on his glass tightens and it visibly creaks under his strength.]

I hated him initially because he's like everyone else who's ever looked at me and saw nothing. Just though I was someone weak and useless. I made him hurt badly enough to be scared of me. Now it's because he seems set on finding ways to hurt me. Not physically, you understand, because I always come out on top whenever we fight. He wants me to hurt emotionally.

[He finally looks back up to Ragnar and there's a vulnerable look on his face, something almost no one would ever see but the few people Ivar counted among his family.]

That's why I was worried about you. I know you well enough to know you'll keep going down the road of your own self-destruction well enough without any help from him.

[storradr]

I have never seen that side of him. [He looks annoyed, with himself, with Dodger, with this entire situation.] Part of me suspects that was so that he could keep me around to use against you. [Which only reinforced what Ivar was saying about him.] He denied that. Of course.

[He really isn't sure if he can believe Dodger. He'd been on the fence, until this morning.]

He hurt Athelstan. [Just saying the words seemed to make Ragnar look that much more drained. He paused and took a drink.] He will be alright, but... It is unacceptable.

He needs to learn that he should not do something like that again. That there are consequences.

[He pulled his phone out. And opens a message from Dodger that had come in about an hour ago. He played it "Do you have a free minute? I wanna tell you something, I- need to the first person you hear it from." and then slid his phone away.] He does not know that I know yet.

[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.]