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

[smokedout]

You're still a kid. You'll grow up.

[He was closer to Ivar, when he was 16. Nine years can do some serious damage.]

Empathy is equally pointless. It just makes you feel what others feel when you see them feeling it. Feeling sad when others are sad. Happy when others are happy. If you're good at mirroring expressions, you don't need it anyway.

[Objectively, he doesn't believe feelings have a point outside of manipulating others into giving him what he wants. But in practice... it doesn't work as well as he'd like, which is partly why he values the ability to ignore empathy so much.]

[ragnarsson]

I am not a kid.

[He will always stubbornly insist upon that fact. Sixteen was old enough to be considered fully-grown and a man among Vikings and Ivar was never going to get used to the attitude some had here regarding his youth.]

I learned how to fake that a while ago.

[Not that he ever actually bothers doing it. Ivar doesn't care enough about most people to pretend to do it most of the time.]

[smokedout]

In my world at least, you wouldn't be able to drink yet. No drinking, no driving, no working, no smoking, and your parents could veto anything you do. Wouldn't even be able to go to the hospital without adult supervision. So, you're a kid.

[Of course, Dodger did all of those things when he was Ivar's age, but that's beside the point.]

Sounds like you don't have much use for a conscience. Big surprise.

[ragnarsson]

Key word there being your world. In mine, I've already killed men, been in battle, led an army, and conquered part of a country. So don't pretend like I have anything in common with the mewling little children who attend the high schools here besides my actual age.

[Of course, he still had the bratty teenage attitude and chip on his shoulder that definitely was appropriate for his age, but in many others, Ivar had more in common with his older peers here.]

I only use things that get me what I want. A conscience would only just hold me back.

[smokedout]

If you're such an accomplished leader, how about you get something worthwhile done?

[He honestly can't help it... their truce can't protect Ivar from Dodger's natural criticisms.]

Seems like a bit of a waste of time to sit around wondering about emotions you don't have. That is, if you want me to believe you're better than a high school student.

[Also: he doesn't believe a word of that. No way Ivar's on the same level of him as far as accomplishments.]

[ragnarsson]

What, you mean like the next plot I have against you? I wonder what it would take to unlock that door of yours...

[He'll just let Dodger marinate on that information for a little bit so his natural paranoia can grow ever higher.]

It's called learning and applying that knowledge to situations. I'm sure you did that once upon a time before the alcohol burned your brain out.

[Mean? Yes. Honest? Also yes.]

[smokedout]

[Hm... maybe that truce won't be very long-lived after all. Not that he expected it to be.]

Try it. I really dare you to. If you think I haven't planned for someone to try and get in, you really are as dumb as I think you are.

[Sure, he doesn't have much for a defense system, not the type that wouldn't endanger his belongings... but give a man the basic concept of a venom mine and a healthy supply of hallucinogenic fear serum, and he can work wonders.]

If you haven't learned what a conscience is by 16, you're not working very hard to learn.

[ragnarsson]

To that, I only have two words for you. Challenge accepted.

[Which one of them is smarter? Only time will tell. But Ivar's always been fond of the game of chess for the reason that he likes to think five moves ahead of people at all times.]

Yes, because so many Vikings just sit around and talk about their feelings in between burning Christians alive.

[Dodger gets an eye roll for that.]

People here are a little more introspective. I'm using that to my advantage.

[smokedout]

[He lets a quiet laugh out at the phrase of "burning Christians". He's been doing a little of that himself, in his own way.. hehehe.]

I grew up on the streets, kid, gangsters don't exactly chat about their feelings either. That's why you don't just sit around for information people are willing to give...

[Ivar knows enough about his sick obsession with learning how people work, that he doesn't really see the need to hide it.]

Lemme make one thing clear, though - if I find you in my room, I'm not just going to kill you. I'm going to keep you around until I decide to kill you, and we'll see how long you stay brave about it.

[ragnarsson]

It's the middle of the night and I had nothing better to do. It's gotten good results thus far.

[Dodger is treated to a flat look from Ivar at his threats. He looks completely unimpressed.]

You're under some sad delusion that someday I'm actually going to be afraid of you. That's never going to happen.

[smokedout]

I've broken stronger men than you. At the end of the day, you're a child with an ax and I'm a trained information broker with a few centuries of technological advancement on you. I can break you down and mold you into whatever I want, if you give me the motivation.

[He reaches slowly to adjust one of the wraps on his wrists, showing off the knuckles that read DIE? across them. Sure, he knows Ivar probably can't read, but it's a habit that's become second-nature when threatening others.]

[ragnarsson]

You're a small, petty man with a very large ego. You think because you've survived this far in life that you know everything about it.

[But Ivar knew even with his limited experience that life could always surprise a man. He planned to make sure Dodger never got bored around him.]

The day I break down under your care is when I'll be dead.

[smokedout]

[His eyes narrow with that, and he smirks.]

I'll see you in my room, kiddo.

[And with that, he shuts off his end of the feed.]