riverview | Video; Round-Trip Home

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Video; Round-Trip Home

[The video opens up with Ivar sitting on the edge of his bed, phone recording in one hand, and a knife being fiddled around with in the other. It's clear he's got something on his mind.]

So it turns out if you properly motivate people, they can get that portal fixed up to get you back home.

[It's best not to ask what motivation that was, but Ivar being Ivar, most everyone watching can probably figure it out.]

I'm going back home for a while to take care of some unfinished business. I left in the middle of a war and I need to see that through before I come back. [He pauses.] And don't bother trying to talk me out of this, I've already made up my mind. I'll see you all in two weeks.

[He waves goodbye with the knife and then cuts the video. Looks like the Quarantine has a reprieve from the crazy Viking for the next fourteen days. But he'll be back. Ivar's far too tough to do something as basic as dying back in his home world.]

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you better not come back dead.

that's all I'm saying.

I'm too stubborn and tough to die. You should know this by now.

[What he's not saying is that there is part of him is wondering if he will die at some point in the war. But what's he going to do, voice doubts just before leaving? No, better to show nothing but confidence.]

you know I might buy that if the stubbornest and toughest person I know hadn't died in my war.

[Marco is all doubts. And he doesn't understand. The only reason he ever fought his war was personal - to save his mom.]

I'm not Rachel. I'm not going to abandon you forever.

[He gets it, really he does. He's had a lot of loss in his life too and it never gets any easier.]

so you say.

[Okay, so maybe he's a little touchy about this kind of thing. He's been abandoned a lot - his mom, then his dad, Rachel. Sure everything had turned out okay but that doesn't mean the first part didn't happen.]

anyway, it's your choice, I'm not going to try to stop you or anything.

You know I'll do everything I can to get back here.

[But he won't promise something he can't be sure he'll be able to keep.]

Can you switch to video? I want to ask you something face to face.

[He can't read someone when they're just sending him a bunch of letters that he can't even read.]

[Honestly, it's the last thing he wants, and he's almost a little mad at Ivar for even asking. So it takes a while for him to answer, but when he does, it's by making the feed private and switching to video.

Marco's sitting on his bed in his room in the mansion dressed in a blue tank top, one grey-sweatpants-clad knee pulled up to his chest. His expression is a little blank, and his hair is a bit of a mess.]

Yeah sure, go for it.

[He wonders if Marco knows what he wants to ask and that's the reason he takes so long in responding. The Viking is on pins and needles the entire time waiting.

Ivar actually looks a little apprehensive when Marco finally responds, maybe even a touch scared. Impossible though. He faced down men on the battlefield without batting an eye. Asking this shouldn't be that difficult. But his emotions were always the area he was least comfortable with discussing.]

What do I-- [Deep breath. He can do this.] --What do I mean to you? What is this thing we have between us?

[When Ivar asks his question, Marco's mouth twitches, and he's quiet for a moment, shaking his head.]

Are you kidding me right now?

[Laughing a bit, he pushes his fingers back through his hair, combing it behind his ears, dark eyes moving away from the screen.]

I don't know. But man, it's kind of messed up asking me right before you leave.

I'm being serious!

[Ivar seems to bristle like an angry tomcat when Marco laughs. Oh, it's a good thing they're not in the same room together. He'd be even more pissed off.]

You don't know? Well, that makes two of us. [He snorts indignantly.] I didn't want to leave with this on my mind. Do you really want me focused on this when I'm on the battlefield trying to survive?

[It's not a humorous laugh, though he wouldn't blame Ivar for misunderstanding it. After all, Marco likes to laugh, he does it as often as he can. But this one, it's not at Ivar's expense. Maybe at his own, a little bit. Either way, it's bitter.]

No, of course I don't. I mean, it'd be cool if you didn't go at all, but I know there's no talking you out of it, so why bother?

[A pause, and he presses his lips together hard.]

I like you.

I like you too. But-- you also flirt with a lot of other people.

[Ivar had noticed that. It was lucky he'd accepted it as part of Marco's personality. Otherwise, his jealousy would have been a terrible thing.]

So do you.

[Marco shrugs, tilts his head, dark eyes flicking back up to the screen.]

I figured it was probably okay for me to do it too.

I do not!

[At least not intentionally. Ivar barely is cognizant of his own emotions half the time, no matter how good he is at reading those of other people. He sounds irritated when Marco points that out.]

Come on man, you're trying to tell me you haven't got a thing for anyone else here? Besides the fact your ex is hanging around and you're coparenting, that's a total recipe for getting back together, and we haven't even talked about that.

[For a moment, he looks furious, his eyes sharp, but then he takes a breath.]

What do you want?

Of course things are going to be complicated with Letha. She's the mother of my child. And I don't know how to deal with that either.

[He won't even focus on how he also has feelings for Rey here. Ivar's love life is just one bundle of complications.]

I wanted to know...if I'm first in your mind. If you want to be with someone else, I won't say no. But I don't want to just be convenient for you.

Well yeah, obviously it's gonna be complicated.

[He sounds a little petulant, and he couldn't care less about it, he even punctuates it with an attempt at a careless shrug.]

Dude. Convenient for me is a bubbly blonde popstar on my arm that I slide past the bouncer with. You're pretty much the opposite of convenient.

[A little half-smile that falls away after a moment.]

Anyway, I've never even made out with anyone besides you since the first time we did. [Another shrug.] You?

I'm working on it. Not that I'm going away with anymore answers regarding her than when I started.

[She'd yelled at him over the network and then insulted him. Pretty much par for how he and Letha communicated.

There's a twitch of his lips that might almost be a smile as well. He likes hearing that.]

I haven't either. So guess that does sort of say better where we stand with each other.

[The whole thing is really complicated. Especially when he factors in his own feelings for Rey, and the fact that he's aware of Ivar's feelings for her too. After all, it's not like Ivar is subtle about it. Then there's Chyler, and a bunch of other things too, all twisted up.

But it's still nice to hear Ivar hasn't made out with anyone but him since they started making out. He's even pretty sure he believes it.]

Yeah. It does.

[Licking his lips, he turns his dark gaze back to the camera, blunt, bitten fingernails scraping over the knee of his sweatpants.]

So I guess. That's where we stand, then.

[It wasn't a complete answer, but then, maybe neither of them even had a complete answer to give. At least Ivar knew he was first in Marco's heart and that was enough for the Viking. He was so desperate for love and so terrified of it at the same time.]

So I'll see you in two weeks then. I-- [It seems like he might say something else, but then he can't quite get the words out.] --I'll miss you.

[And Marco...he's not sure what he's feeling. Sometimes he wonders if he's even capable of loving anyone he didn't go through the war with. Sometimes he thinks he is, sometimes he thinks he isn't. Even if he was sure, he's not sure what this is. He just knows he likes it.]

Okay. Yeah. You...you better be back.

[He licks his lips, eyes down, then glances back up.]

I'll miss you too.

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Video; Round-Trip Home

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