riverviewlogs | Catch-all post!

Ivar was slumped down pretty far against the headboard of his bed. Really, any further, and he'd just be plainly lying down. His whole mood seemed to be a bit defeatist, but really, who could blame him? Being in pain and full of sadness wasn't doing him any favors.

He did perk up a little when Rey mentioned presents. Ivar had a bit of a childish streak to him. He enjoyed things like getting gifts from people because it meant they were paying attention to him. From the time he was a child, one of Ivar's greatest frustrations was the fact people aside from his mother and Floki tended to ignore and forget about him. The poor, weak, little runt, the one that should never have survived, let's just pretend he doesn't exist. It was one of the reasons Ivar tended to annoy people as a teen. Even if they were annoyed, at least that meant they were paying attention.

A little bit of light came back into his all-too-expressive eyes. "Gifts? For me and Winter? Did you bring them with you?"

There was a nod of her head.

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't have them with me," she told him a matter-of-fact fashion. She shrugged off her staff, one of the two main items she always took with her. Force of habit really. One never knew when they would get into a fight, plus she felt weird without it. Of course there was another weapon that she kept hidden from everyone else in her pack. She reached inside, getting Winter's gift out first.

A small little box with a white ribbon wrapped in it. Inside were a dozen star clips. Rey thought they would look nice on Winter, granted she's never met her, but she thought back to when Ivar had braided her hair. She thought Ivar might like to put something in his daughter's hair. He did add flowers to hers, so why not stars?

"If you want to open it now, you can. Or have her do it, whichever you prefer. But, decide what you want to do before I give you your gift." Because she had a feeling he might be enamored with what she got him.

"Having her open it up would require me getting out of bed and waking her up from her nap, so I'll just have to do it for her." He took the present from Rey, holding it up to his ear, and shaking it the way a small child would. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what was inside it.

He opened up the box and a look of delighted pleasure crossed his face. He took one out, balancing it on the end of one finger. "Oh, Rey. They're so nice. Thank you." It crossed Ivar's mind that with Rey growing up all alone, she might have never given presents to anyone before. The thought made a slight pink flush come to his ears and cheeks.

"I feel guilty now I haven't gotten you anything yet." He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what he could possibly get her in return.

A soft smile played across her face as she wondered if the present she got the little girl was appropriate. It was something for Ivar to do for his child, a way to bond with her. Not a toy that Winter could play with. Though, now she was nervous about the opinion of a child that wasn't a year old.

"You're welcome. They're supposed to go into her hair. Like what you did when you braided mine." Something to add in, and if she couldn't fly in space and see the stars themselves..then maybe, Rey could give Winter some stars she could reach. Ivar's mood was starting to turn around, and as for not receiving a gift she waved her hand at it.

"Don't feel guilty, just get better. I wasn't expecting anything, honestly." And if she received a gift, she may not open it because...why would she want to ruin the pretty paper. But, since Ivar decided to open Winter's gift, now it was his turn to receive his present. His gift was bigger, considering how it was bundled in tissue paper rather than placed in an actual box.

Considering how much Rey worked and how little she actually bought for herself, it wasn't hard coming up with the funds for his gift. Peeling back the layers of tissue paper, Ivar would have a unique gift. Perhaps not the wisest thing to give to a anger fueled young man, but she felt he might like it. The belt loops for the sheath would come in handy for him to keep on him.

"...I hope you like it." She found herself saying, becoming nervous that it probably was the wrong thing to buy him.

Ivar set aside Winter's present on the bedside table. She was just getting to the point where she had enough hair to really be able to turn it into the most basic of little styles. The star clips would go wonderfully in her wisps of pale white hair.

He was already planning in his head what he could get Rey in return. He wanted to show her that he cared about her the way she obviously did about him. But what to get someone who never seemed to require more than just the basic necessities? Anything frivolous he got her was just going to go unused. Well, no matter. He'd think of something.

He opened up his present with eagerness. Ivar became very quiet when he saw what it was and it was ambiguous as just what his exact reaction was going to be. Then he looked up at Rey with an absolutely delighted expression on his face. "It's perfect. Just what I wanted." Ivar could always use another knife and to have one given to him by a dear friend made it extra-special.

Rey didn't need anything in return. There were few things she needed in life, and this moon provided what she needed; food and shelter. Now, she had her friends here, and more than she could've ever asked. She had built something of a life here, and it would be bittersweet when she had to leave...

But for now, she could enjoy the time she had with her friend. Although, she was hoping he'd like the gift. She had gone to a weapons shop and asked the keeper 'what would a Viking want?' Apparently that was the secret phrase and she was shown different blades or different sizes and crafted from different metals. Eventually she found one she liked, and that had a holster with two straps. Perfect to keep on a belt. Deadly and practical.

Her heart started to beat loudly in her chest when Ivar had gone silent, wondering if she choose the wrong item. Really...if he didn't like his present, he could say so. She wouldn't take offense...

"Really?" she was a bit surprised he was happy, which made her feel greatly relieved.

"I was hoping that would be the case. Good.. I'm happy. I hope you don't have to use it to defend yourself, but thought it might be something you could use when training your new students."

Ivar's mind was already working on the idea of what he was going to have to get Rey. It was going to need to be something that she'd enjoy just as much as he was going to with his new knife. "You did a good job of picking it out. I can wear it right on my belt."

His mood definitely seemed to be on an uptick now. He'd been so depressed before, but this was a good reminder to him that he had friends here, people who cared about his well-being. It was something Ivar had never had before and it made him treasure little moments like this.

"It'll be perfect to train with my students. I'm going to whip them all into shape." He nudged her. "You included."

A grin started to come over her face the more Ivar talked about his gift. It made her happy to see his mood improve, even better was knowing he would get use out of his gift. Or maybe it was knowing she made him that happy. Either way, he was in a better mood now, which meant, maybe he wouldn't be grumpy for the rest of the day.

"Me?" she let out a light chuckle and slightly nudged him back. "I think I'm doing pretty well thus far. I mean...you helped...kind of." Teasing, just to get him riled up a little.

"But I was thinking about more for your new students, the ones who have no idea what they're doing. Hopefully no one hurts themselves too badly..." Cause, that was bound to happen.

Ivar's mood had definitely been lifted, both by the present and the company that had come along with it. He didn't yet understand why he enjoyed spending so much time around Rey. He just sort of assumed it was because they were good friends. "Kind of?" He mock-scowled at the joke. "You'd be getting nowhere fast without met to help you along."

He looked down at the knife again, turning it over in his hands. "Now there's an idea with merit. I'm pretty sure Osomatsu is going to cut off a finger sooner or later." The poor NEET. Ivar had no idea what he was getting into training him.

"Uh-huh. I was doing just fine, with my staff, and I at least knew the pointy end of the sword goes into the other person." More joking, more teasing. A comfortable feeling between the two of them, and it's so nice to see Ivar's mood had improved. Rey had hoped he wouldn't instantly tell her to go away once she stepped into his room.

"...Maybe avoid leaving people dismembered?" Because, that had to be a joke right? Who would really cut off a finger? Wouldn't he set them up with practice weapons first?

"Good. Your next step will be to learn how to block the other person's pointy end from going in you." It's easy to do this with Rey like it isn't with other people, just sit around, and be able to joke. Some of that constant tension he carries around with himself lifts in her presence.

Ivar shrugs in a nonchalant manner. "Not my fault what he gets up to in his off time. I told him to practice until our next session, but I have some misgivings he's going to be alright alone." But will Ivar care if one of his students ends up in the hospital with a knife through their palm? No.

"And after that? Learn how to disarm them?" she asks, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. When was the last time she felt this comfortable speaking to someone? The only other person whose presence she enjoyed just as much was Finn's.

"Hopefully he'll be alright on his own. If he hurts himself, he can't come to practice, and you'll be down a student." Just pointing it out. Letting him know that there would be some consequences to teaching his students how to use sharp objects. Something he wouldn't have to worry about with Rey--hopefully.

"Sure. Then comes the fancy tricks you can use to impress friends and intimidate enemies with. Like this." He takes the knife out of its sheath and holds it in the flat of his left palm. He spins it around and then effortlessly transfers it to his right hand. Is he showing off for Rey? Just a little bit.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. If not, there's plenty of good healers in this place." Fingers crossed nothing happens though. Ivar's going to be plenty unimpressed if one of his students manages to impale themselves.

"I think that might be more of an advanced class, wouldn't it?" she jokes, watching him spin the blade in the palm of his hand. He didn't cut himself, which was really good. She would hate for him to get an additional injury. If he was trying to show off to her, she didn't take too much notice. She thought he was simply playing around.

"Healers can only do so much." She doubts they could regrow limbs in case someone accidentally one of theirs off...and hopefully no one would die from it. No, she wouldn't think about those things. Not right now.

"But...will your classes now be in a big group or are you planning to teach one on one?" Best to talk about how he'll conduct his classes and get him excited about getting out of his room when he was fully healed.

"Only for those who have been practicing with weapons for ten years or more." Ivar didn't often show off these moves for fear of being thought that he was bragging. He saved them for moments like this. But he liked Rey and thought she would understand.

Ivar just sort of waved off the concern about healers. They didn't even have penicillin or a better way to treat infected limbs than to cut them off back home. He was very impressed with the level of tech here in regards to healing people.

"No, one on one is better. That way the training can be personalized to each person. I wish I had someone like that to train me when I was young." No one had expected much from a little crippled boy, so at first, Ivar had found there was nobody willing to teach him how to fight. Except for Floki, his mentor, everyone just saw a pitiful figure that would never be able to fight properly. He just followed his brothers around and watched what they were taught. Later on, he'd beg whoever he could find to teach him what they knew. Then he worked as hard as he could to be the best.

"Ten years?" Just making sure she heard him right, and thinking on it, she had been practicing how to use her staff for more than ten years. However, a blade was a different weapon all together, and required more training...and a lightsaber was different from a sword, and that required even more training. Baby steps.

"I don't know if many of your students will have those skills just yet, but something to aim for." And if he showed off to his students, then it would be considered bragging...just a little. For Rey, she enjoyed the display he put on.

There was a nod of her head, glad to know they would be continuing their practices one on one. It would allow him to evaluate his students and find their strengths upon which to build up, and areas of improvement.

"As do I. The quarter staff I have, it's made from different parts. Had to train myself with it...and.." she let out a faint laugh. "How not to get hurt by it either." One couldn't just swing the staff around, one had to be careful to make sure she didn't injure herself.

"I am definitely aiming high for them. At least they need to be able to defend themselves before I'm going to let them go off and hunt monsters." He wanted to make sure that if monsters overran the city or people turned on each other like a pack of wolves, that his students could properly use their lessons in a practical fashion.

"Not getting hurt is the most important part." He held up one of his hands. There were calluses all along his fingertips and scars that crisscrossed his palms. "A lot of the ones on my fingers came from learning how to hold blades properly and being able to pull back on the string of a bow." Ivar was proud of how his hands looked. Every scar told a story.

A sensible argument, to train others just in case they need to defend themselves, rather than be helpless and cause more stress on those that can fight.

"Do you really think that's a possibility? So far, there haven't been any attacks that I've heard of." Then again, Rey hadn't been on this moon as long as Ivar has. He's probably seen more things and experienced stranger things here than her. This place was a very strange place indeed. Stranger than Jakku or Takodana, or anywhere else she's ever heard of.

Her eyes went down to his hands, noting the scars and calluses there. She could understand that. It showed hard work. It showed how determined he was. It showed his success and failures. Her fingertips were calloused from years of hard work, even with gloves to pick the parts she found and clean them.

"That I can see. It shows your growth. No one can call themselves a warrior if their hands don't show proof of it." She holds up one of her hands to show him, there was some faint scars from accidentally getting shocked by wires, when she didn't know what she was doing, or when she burned herself from touching metal left out in the heat.

"Yours really do tell a story."

"Who knows what will happen? Besides, if people take back parts of the forest and abandoned city like they keep talking about, some of those here might move there. And then they'll definitely need protection while the fences get set up and run right." Ivar always likes to plan for the worst and...well, he doesn't expect the best, he just expects things to always get even worse.

When Rey puts her hand up, Ivar, on an impulse, pushes his hand forward. Their fingers touch together. It's like having an electric shock run through him. Ivar lets his fingers stay there for a moment or two before he pulls them away with no small part of reluctance. He's confused as to why he feels like this. The last person he got a jolt from being near like this was Marco. But...he doesn't feel the same way about Rey as he does about Marco...does he?

He busies himself by fiddling around with his present, setting it on the nightstand. Suddenly, he feels all awkward. "Thank you again for the gifts. I'm sure Winter is going to love the little stars."

"They've really been talking about that? There's nothing in the Abandoned City." Okay, maybe she wasn't supposed to say that, and let Ivar know one of her side jobs is going there to scavenge around with Cisco, but really, there's nothing there. And the feeling she gets from the place isn't a good one. Why would people want to go to the forests and have to rebuild the land there? So many questions that Ivar probably doesn't have the answers to.

What does happen is unexpected with a jolt of electricity that goes down her spine and and makes her heart beat faster. Their hands are touching--their fingertips are, but it's enough for her to feel something...and she isn't sure what it is. If it's good or bad--no, it's good. It's a feeling, a rush that she hasn't felt before...and in some ways it's nice, but overall it's confusing.

He hand pulls away from hers and Rey finds herself feeling...awkward? But she can't explain why. Thankfully, they're on the subject of Winter. A much safer option.

"You're welcome. I hope she does enjoy the hair pieces..." She starts to pull back from him, getting up from his bedside.

"I should go, I don't want to overstay my welcome and you need to rest so I can have my teacher back."

Ivar lets her get up without a word of protest like he normally would. He's got a lot to think about now, mostly about Rey. He's so rarely felt this way about anyone before.

"I'll see you once I'm feeling better. We can spar again." It occurred to him that he always was eager and excited to see Rey when she came around. He'd always chalked it up to merely being good friends, but now he wondered if there was something a little bit more to it? So much to think about.

Catch-all post!

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