[Ouch. That hit him right where it hurts. Most everyone here seems to think Ivar's full of prickles and vinegar, with no one able to get below the surface, but that one does it alright. His good humor seems to evaporate.]
I used to.
[There's a whole untold story that goes along with that phrase.]
[ Mike assumes death is involved, but maybe that isn't the case (maybe he's being naive). ]
What happened to them? [ Ivar doesn't have to tell him but Mike figures it's worth asking in case he's in the sharing mood. The worst Ivar can do is tell him to mind his own business, right? ]
One stabbed me in the back and switched sides to work with my most hated enemy. The other died after betraying me.
[Ivar's love life has not been a happy one. Granted, Heahmund had likely switched because Ivar was keeping him as a thrall. Even if their relationship was a good one, it was based more off Stockholm Syndrome then anything else. As for Freydis, well, he'd killed her himself with his own hands when she'd betrayed him to his brothers. Still, it hurt. He was only young, after all.]
Woah... That's awful. [ He feels bad for reminding Ivar of these moments of betrayal but it gives him some insight as to why Ivar is the way he is. ] You must have a lot of trust issues...
I'd never betray a friend, though. Ever. [ And Mike considers him to be his friend. ] I'd rather die than do that.
I don't trust anyone anymore. So then no one has to trust me.
[This line of thinking has come back to bite him in the ass several times, but Ivar still hasn't learned anything from it. He can be annoyingly bullheaded sometimes.
Still, he like hearing that from Mike, though he chalks it mostly up to what Ivar sees as naivete.]
Now that is a good quality to have. Loyalty is harder to find then one usually thinks.
Maybe you just haven't met the right people? Or the people in your world suck. I have friends back home I know would never betray me either. [ He acknowledges that he's probably very lucky to have his circle of loyal friends. ]
Maybe here you'll meet someone who makes you feel like you can trust again.
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I used to.
[There's a whole untold story that goes along with that phrase.]
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What happened to them? [ Ivar doesn't have to tell him but Mike figures it's worth asking in case he's in the sharing mood. The worst Ivar can do is tell him to mind his own business, right? ]
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[Ivar's love life has not been a happy one. Granted, Heahmund had likely switched because Ivar was keeping him as a thrall. Even if their relationship was a good one, it was based more off Stockholm Syndrome then anything else. As for Freydis, well, he'd killed her himself with his own hands when she'd betrayed him to his brothers. Still, it hurt. He was only young, after all.]
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I'd never betray a friend, though. Ever. [ And Mike considers him to be his friend. ] I'd rather die than do that.
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[That's an understatement.]
I don't trust anyone anymore. So then no one has to trust me.
[This line of thinking has come back to bite him in the ass several times, but Ivar still hasn't learned anything from it. He can be annoyingly bullheaded sometimes.
Still, he like hearing that from Mike, though he chalks it mostly up to what Ivar sees as naivete.]
Now that is a good quality to have. Loyalty is harder to find then one usually thinks.
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Maybe here you'll meet someone who makes you feel like you can trust again.
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We shall see. [That's Ivar-speak for 'I don't believe you but I wish I could.']