Voice; @the.boneless Can't hurt feelings when there's none there

[ragnarsson]

[It's the early morning, so early some might still consider it to technically be part of the night. Deal with it, people, he cares nothing about your sleeping schedules. The only reason he's up this early is his left leg is aching and won't stop. Ah, the thrills of having a disease that create brittle bones easily. So he's bored and this is what he's left to do: bug all of you until he can get back to sleep.]

Serious question time. What does a conscience feel like? In detail, if you don't mind. Or, if you're like me and don't have one, what does empathy feel like?

[This has been on his mind as of late. Blame talks with guilt-ridden ex-assassins he's had. Ivar's been thinking a lot about it. He can fake the latter to some degree, but the former has never much bothered him, which does explain why killing comes so easily to him.]

Comments

[ragnarsson]

[That gets him to laugh.]

If I had one, it wouldn't sound like my mother. She did a bunch of horrible stuff herself.

[Yeah, allowing her children to watch her force a Christian missionary to hold a red-hot piece of metal was probably the least of what Aslaug had done.]

[supersweet]

Uh, okay. What do you think yours would sound like?

[ragnarsson]

I don't know. Maybe my father? He was always one of the most sensible people I knew, even if most people disapproved of some of the things he did.

[Ivar's loyalty to his father Ragnar was absolute and ever-lasting. Even in death, nothing could shake the love he felt for him.]

[supersweet]

Yeah. I mean, you can't always do the right thing. But it's important to try.

[ragnarsson]

So I keep hearing. It's hard to remember that sometimes.

[Combine a different culture with a personality that was psychopathic and it made for a skewed set of priorities.]

[supersweet]

[ Jon isn't sure how but he's from a superhero world. ]

Maybe you can make a list? If there's a mistake you keep making, the list can help. Or having someone you can ask for help when you're not sure.

[ragnarsson]

The main mistake I seem to keep making involves murder attempts.

[Should he be telling what sounds like a kid this? Oh well, time to corrupt the youth.]

See, asking someone for help like that needs a certain amount of trust. I'm not sure I've found anyone here I can trust enough for that.

[supersweet]

Yeah. You're going to have a problem here if you keep thinking about murder. Just saying.

[ Jon's from a comic book. He's naive but not stupid by any means. ]

Maybe you need to find someone like that first.

[ragnarsson]

Only if I get caught.

[Priorities. Ivar has them.]

Now there's the problem, isn't it? I don't know if I'll ever find anyone who fits the role well enough.

[supersweet]

In a place like this with lots of super powers? You'll probably get caught.

[ No one's that good. ]

Well, it'll take time but it's not impossible.

[ragnarsson]

We'll just see about that.

[The problem with Ivar being so clever is that he oftentimes thinks he's much smarter than those around him.]

You have a lot of optimism.

[supersweet]

Why not? It's not like this place is like our homes. Doesn't that mean anything is possible?

[ragnarsson]

The cynic in me would say a hard no on that.

[Sorry, all the hope Ivar had for life in general got burnt out about ten years ago.]

[supersweet]

Well, I hope the cy — cynic — [ He only knows so many big words okay ] — doesn't let miss the chance to try new things?

Because that would suck if you went home and didn't get to do all the things you couldn't do before.

[ragnarsson]

Got any recommendations? I come from a long ways back, so pretty much everything is new to me.

[supersweet]

Well . . . do you have anything you couldn't do before?

[ragnarsson]

Just getting around with a struggle has been a new experience.

[Wheelchairs are a lot faster than using his arms to drag himself from place to place.]

[supersweet]

Yeah. Still, while you're getting used to that, maybe make a list? Lists helps.

[ Not that Jon makes any, but his mother does. ]

[ragnarsson]

I'll consider it, optimistic one.

[He might as well listen to others. Even a kid can have something good to say once in a while.]

[supersweet]

It's Jon. And I hope it works out for you.

[ragnarsson]

My name is Ivar The Boneless. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but most people seem to end up regretting knowing me sooner or later.

[supersweet]

Boneless?

[ How does that work. ]

Does that mean you don't have bones?

[ragnarsson]

No, it was a nickname my father gave me, because I was born with twisted, crippled legs.

[It had been a cruel name given in a moment of despair, but Ivar had come to own it, instead of the other way around.]

[supersweet]

[ Wow. That is definitely a terrible dad. But Jon is wise enough to comment on that. ]

So let's change it. What should be your nickname? You're in a new place after all. So you can probably pick one!

[ragnarsson]

[Yes, Ragnar had his terrible moments, but he'd loved and believed in his son overall, and for that, Ivar would have done anything he asked him to.]

Aren't most nicknames usually given by other people? Most don't pick them out themselves.