riverviewlogs | January monthly log!

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January monthly log!

who: Ivar and others. Maybe even you?
what: Monthly log
when: All throughout January
where: Abandoned City, the park, all over
warnings: A fight, possible baby mama drama, maybe some body horror with morphing?

A. First rule of Fight Club - For Damian and later on Bucky

Considering how their last fight had gone, even if Damian didn't remember, Ivar was eager to see who would win in this second one. He headed out into the Abandoned City towards the biggest waterfall. It was best not to do this in the city, for it was a certainty that someone would try to stop the two of them if they knew what they were up to. This might have been the wiser course of action, for there was no telling how carried away they were likely to get during this.

Ivar was the first to arrive and he waited, taking out his axe, sharpening it on a whetting stone as he waited for the young assassin to arrive.

B. The blue box - For Marco

It's been several weeks since Ivar broke his leg badly and Marco had to rescue him in gorilla form. While his leg is now healed up thanks to the ministrations of Shigeru, such a traumatic experience is not easily forgotten. They haven't really spoken much of it since then, but observant as Ivar is, he's noticed that Marco seems to have something on his mind.

Rather than press him, he waits for Marco to find the right moment to talk to him. It appears to come when they're relaxing on the couch together, Ivar with his head in Marco's lap and his eyes closed, the TV on for background noise. Marco says something that he doesn't quite catch, so Ivar opens up his eyes and looks up. "Hmmm? What did you say?"

C. Co-parenting - For Letha

Dealing with Letha was rather like strategizing for a war. He kept trying to read her and figure out how to stay one step ahead. Right now, they were in an uneasy truce, both of them remaining civil for the sake of Winter. Ivar wanted to believe that she had changed and actively wanted to be a part of her daughter's life again, but the cynical side of him wondered how long it would last.

The reunion hadn't been smooth. As soon as she picked up Winter, the familiar glow surrounded the baby, and Letha had nearly fainted from stubbornly insisting she kept wanting to hold onto her. Ivar wasn't sure how much babies could remember, but it was obvious he was going to need to deal with this problem of Winter draining her mother's life force sooner rather than later.

The best thing for her would be to associate Letha with positive feelings, love and comfort, the way she did with Ivar. So right now, they were out in the backyard of Letha's house. Winter had on a cute little smock dress as she crawled around the backyard while her parents watched her.

"She's gotten so big," Ivar remarked. He was hoping she wouldn't drain the life out of any of the plants or bugs in the backyard, but if she did, well, at least it wasn't a person.

D. What kind of Pokemon are you? - OTA

With all that had been going on lately, Ivar hadn't had the chance to really get his Pokemon out and about. It made him feel a little guilty. Pets were not to be neglected no matter what form they came in. So he took the three of them out to a nearby park and released them from their Pokeballs so that they could get some exercise.

Skinfaxi and Hrimfaxi galloped around for a bit before settling down to graze. It was amazing how his Ponyta had grown from a tiny foal all the way to a full-grown stallion big enough to ride. Sprig, on the other hand, remained close to Ivar, occasionally nudging him in hopes of getting a treat. He was a gluttonous little thing.

If he saw anyone, he would wave them over, proud to show off his trio of pocket monsters.

E. Morphing - OTA (Set at some point after the thread with Marco)

Anyone walking around the city would notice a certain oddity now roaming the streets. There were different animals wandering around. Some were ones from earth and others were obviously alien in nature. Most of the time, they could be found tearing around at top speeds, or if they had wings, awkwardly swooping down low to land nearby people. It was, of course, Ivar testing out his new powers.

If he noticed anyone that he knew, he was likely going to approach them, trying to look as cute as possible. He wasn't going to be revealing who he was just yet. He wanted to see what advantages there were when people just thought a dumb animal was around them, not a Viking who was far too sneaky for his own good.

This will only end well.

F. Wildcard

[Have an idea or want a custom starter? PM me or send me a Plurk at

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[ It's not all that unusual, to see the occasional dog or cat roaming the streets in the Quarantine. Less common than it would have been back home, but there were strays. Cisco thinks sometimes that the numbers are fewer because the ones that wander out past the wall don't fare so well. He worries, at times, about the animals he sees scampering around. Shadow had been a stray, after all. But as patient as Eddie is, Cisco knows he wouldn't be patient with his boyfriend bringing home every stray he sees.

That doesn't mean he isn't too soft-hearted for his own good, however. When Cisco sees the cute little cat with the black face and the bright blue eyes, he pauses. There's a big bag full of groceries in his arms, but he sets it down on the ground, crouching and calling the cat over. ]

Hey, cutie pie. What are you doin' out here? Are you lost?

[There's an amazing freedom in being able to change shape, and for Ivar, it's doubly so. To be free of pain for the first time in his life and be able to walk is a great gift. The animal instincts have been easier to control than it would be for some due to his strength of mind, though he has given into the urge to chase rodents once or twice.

When he sees Cisco, he perks up. He remembers the last time they spoke, which had been when Ivar was crying hysterically. How embarrassing. He hops down from the trash can he's sitting on and saunters over. Ivar does the ultimate cat tactic of coming close and then sitting down just out of reach. He lifts up a paw, licks it, and then runs it over his head, his sharp blue eyes watching Cisco all the while. There's no collar on the cat, but he's far too clean to be just a typical stray.]

[ Athelstan doesn't stay inside the housing too often when he's not working. The work as a farmhand is good but he often finds himself in the park with his journal. There were many new art supplies in this place he's found but he's taken to simple pens and pencils, at least less cumbersome to travel along with and write and draw with. The different paints and colors that are available always catch his eyes. He hasn't indulged, it seemed frivolous since there were not really any illuminations to do here.

So, this day he's in the park, sitting under a tree, the weather good enough in his mind for some time sketching.

The sketch he is currently working on is one of Gyda. He's still so happy to see her alive and well, thriving here. It feels hard to explain and perhaps it is a bit unnatural but it did not feel wrong to him.

So there is where he was when he saw a dog. He tilted his head at the animal a small smile on his lips. ]

Hello there.

[ He greets the dog, setting his pencil down. he's noticed that there are animals that seem to roam of their own accord here, some nicer than others. ]

[Ivar's been getting a bit lost in the dog instincts as he wanders around. Everything just smells so good and he can hear things from such a long ways away. Plus, there's the natural happiness and joy for life that dogs seem to possess, a startling change from his usual anger.

Ivar catches scent of Athlestan as he wanders through the park. His tail starts to wag almost of its own volition, which is a dead giveaway how he really feels about the priest. He wanders over to where he's sitting, squinting at the page. His eyesight in this form is less strong than as a human, but he thinks it's his sister being sketched out on the page.

He sits down next to Athlestan, tilting his head back with an inquiring look. It is time to be pet.]

[ When the dog sits down it's very clear that it means no harm. He reaches to stroke his hand over the dogs head to start with, scratching behind his ears. ]

You're a gorgeous dog.

[ It's true he finds, the coat soft and beautiful and the eyes as well. He's not really seen a dog that looked exactly like this before. ]

Stan happens to be out when Ivar takes the pokemon out of their balls. The sight is unsettling to say the very least. He's staring at the ponyta in particular and forgets to actually say anything in greeting when he first spots Ivar.

The things don't seem to be monsters but they certainly are not natural and therefore Stan is busy convincing himself that they cannot be real.

[Ivar lets out a sigh as his ears are scratched. That feels so nice in his current form and his tail keeps thumping on the ground as Athlestan pets him. Dogs are very inside instinctive judges of character and the doggie part of his mind has decided Athlestan falls under the category of being good.

He huffs out a sound of agreement at being called gorgeous, though it's easy enough just to be taken as another dog sound. Ivar is much more mellow in this form, the pain in his legs that fuels part of his anger absent for the moment.]

Ivar waves to Stan, gesturing for him to come over. The horse Pokemon are galloping across the open grass, letting out joyful neighs as the go. The shiny Phantump stays closer to Ivar, hovering in midair as it watches Stan approach.

Ivar flings out an arm towards his Ponyta and Blitzle as they come around for another lap. "Aren't they a sight?" He says proudly.

[ If Athelstan had known this was Ivar, well, it probably wouldn't have changed a thing. He would have still pet him because it seems that the dog rather likes it as dogs do. He continues to pet, his free hand closing the journal and setting it off to the side before he manages to smudge his drawing some way or other. ]

I never had a pet.

[ Athelstan informs the dog. The monastary, it wouldn't have been reasonable. The farm had had animals but those could hardly be deemed as pets even if Athelstan had made the mistake of getting too attached to one here or there. ]

But I always enjoyed the stray dog. You're quite well kept, though.

[ Perhaps not a stray. ]

"She has... she's thin, though. Have you been feeding her enough?"

Letha has been fretting about all sorts of things like this. Picking apart Winter's feeding schedule and sleep schedule, how often she's left alone, what clothing she wears to bed, trying to remember every piece of advice she'd been given while she was pregnant in Thornwell. She knows Winter would be much harder to kill than a regular child, but that doesn't mean she worries any less about her being hurt or uncomfortable.

Winter, meanwhile, could not care less. She's busy trying to catch butterflies, a completely impossible task for a girl of nearly four months but one she's going at insistently.

Letha hesitates before shifting to stand a bit closer to Ivar, and glancing at him nervously. "Do you think she remembers me? She hasn't seemed... excited. To see me."

Well, if there's one thing Dodger can't resist, it's a cute dog. Particularly seeing as he's ended up in essentially a lover's quarrel with his own dog, it's nice to see one that won't be talking back at him.

"Hey, buddy... where'd you come from."

He stoops by the edge of the alleyway where he'd spotted the husky, crouching down to eye level and offering his closed fist to sniff. The expression he wears is one Ivar has not seen before; a look of unfiltered admiration for the dog's very existence, which he only shows after glancing around to make sure no one is watching him.

[It's been interesting to see what people reveal when they think it's just an ordinary dog that they're talking to. Of course, seeing as how the priest appears to be a simple soul, Ivar's not expecting him to tell him any deep, dark secrets.

He lifts a back leg and scratches vigorously behind an ear as he listens to Athlestan talk. Then he turns his head around, nose quivering as he sifts through the scents coming off the priest. He smells of drawing materials and the clean scent that comes from bathing often. Amusingly, he can also catch a little bit of Ragnar's scent as if Athlestan has been in close contact with him recently. He looks at Athlestan with bright blue doggie eyes that seem both simple and wise at the same time.]

Well, now this is a reaction Ivar sure wasn't expecting from Dodger of all people. Apparently, his sometimes nemesis is a dog person. He tears himself away from the most fascinating scent coming from some garbage in the alley and faces Dodger.

The human part of him is wary after so many encounters with Dodger, so he remains stiff legged for a moment, head low to the ground. But the dog part is curious and eager about a new person who will clearly tell him what a magnificent and good boy he is. He comes closer slowly, one step at a time, wondering if Dodger will somehow sense this is Ivar.

Finally just barely close enough, he gives Dodger's hand a sniff, and then a tentative lick. He's got no collar on, but clearly is too clean enough to be a simple stray.

Ivar bites back any sharp retorts he's thinking of. Letha's not criticizing his role as Winter's father, merely worrying about her daughter. "I have. Remember, she's an active baby, so she might not hold onto as much weight as others." She'd also been born premature, but Ivar wasn't going to bring up bad memories of the past.

He watches as Winter eagerly crawls towards an early spring butterfly perched on a dandelion. It flies away long before she can ever catch it, which causes her to babble something in baby talk, probably expressing her desire to touch one of the colorful insects.

Ivar reaches over and pats Letha on the arm, trying to be comforting. "Whether she does or not, she'll need some time to warm up to you again. She's missed out on a lot of time with you. Once she realizes you love her and want to be around her, she'll be a lot happier to see you." Until then, he'll need to keep a sharp eye on her so she doesn't drain too much life force from her mother.

After getting the okay from the dog, he shifts a bit closer to scratch him under his chin, and then his other hand moves to ruffle his ears affectionately.

"There, see, you're fine... you're a good boy, huh? Such a pretty boy."

He pauses, looking the dog over properly. He's definitely a pretty well-fed dog, but Ivar doesn't come to mind at all. The dog can walk, after all. Instead, he's reminded a bit of Ragnar - but the thought is only in passing, as the eye color isn't unusual for a husky. More than likely, the dog's owner just trusts him well enough to let him roam around the city.

"Where'd your parents go, huh, buddy? They close by?"

[ Cisco does, indeed, search for a collar, frowning when he doesn't see one. That cat does look too neat and healthy to be a stray. Perhaps someone nearby lets the cat come and go outside as it likes? He and Eddie keep Shadow indoors, but he knows there are others who like to give their pets more freedom. Cisco can't help worrying over the thing, nonetheless. Carefully, trying not to startle it, he takes a tiny step closer, and then another.

Slowly, he reaches into the grocery bag, digging around without looking until he feels a small can. He pulls it out - it's a tiny can of the ludicrously fancy cat food that Eddie insists on getting for Shadow. Cisco mutters to himself, in that way people do when they don't think anyone else can hear them talking to themselves: ]

I'm probably spoiling your dinner but you're just so gosh darn cute and I wanna be your friend.

[ He pulls at the tab on the top of the can, peeling it off and setting down the little container of food between himself and the bright-eyed cat. ]

Ivar's tail wags furiously as he gets scratched, tongue lolling out of his muzzle. Yes, his dog instincts agree, he is a very good boy. For someone whose default mode seems set on pissing people off, Dodger sure is a lot different around a dog. Then again, Ivar is a lot different as a dog too, none of his usual anger and aggression present.

Up this close, he's smelling things off of Dodger he wouldn't be able to in his human form. There's a heavy odor of cigarette smoke permeating everything, smells from the auto shop where he assumes Dodger must work from time to time, and a sickly sweet artificial scent that comes from all the drugs he uses. He pushes that last one away from his nose with a snort that turns into a sneeze.

He licks Dodger's hand a few more times as he asks where his owners are. There's no one in sight, so clearly he's a smart enough husky to be on his own.

"Guess not... here, c'mon. You're a smart boy, you can find 'em later."

Yeah, Dodger is just gonna kidnap someone's dog. He pats his leg as he gets up, making a kissing noise to reaffirm that he wants the dog to follow him.

"I bet you want something to eat, right? That's why you're after garbage? Let's get you a proper meal and see if we can get you some doggy ice cream afterward."

He knows he's run across places that cater to dogs before; they didn't surprise him, since that sort of thing is common in his home world. Rabbit-flavored ice cream for dogs with pig's blood for syrup, and places that serve dog-friendly versions of meals or just new recipes made just for them. It's almost a shame he can't pamper his own dog with that sort of thing, seeing as Brink doesn't need to eat.

"Lucky you're cute, buddy, bet you get all sorts of snacks off strangers... fuck, I did the same shit when I was your height."

[Ivar's eyes brighten up at the sight of the can coming out and he chirps out a curious Rowr? as he shifts a little bit closer to Cisco. The fishy smell coming from the can is delightful to his kitty nose, strong as it would smell if he was human. He sniffs it and then noshes down.

Why, this is an excellent tribute for the emperor cat. Good job, peasant. He looks up as he finishes, licking the bits off that had clung to his whiskers. He comes close enough to be within petting distance now, human mind and cat instincts both waiting to see what Cisco will do now.]

Of course Dodger would just take off with someone's dog without a second thought. That's just how he is.

Ivar trots down the street alongside him, tail held high behind him. Yes, food is an excellent idea. He's still relishing the feeling of being able to walk so easily and without feeling constant pain. He wouldn't be so short-tempered as a human being if he wasn't in pain twenty-four hours of the day.

Ivar's human mind is still listening intently. Dodger seems the sort to speak more freely around an animal than he ever does around people, none of his usual double talk or bullshit present. There's something relaxing about talking to a dog and Ivar's well aware of that fact.

[ Cisco watches the cat devour the food with a big grin, waiting for it to finish and look up at him before he makes another move. He holds out his hand, letting the cat get a sniff of it before he raises it and starts scratching gently at the cat's forehead, right between its ears. A perfectly normal, harmless gesture, that Cisco will be absolutely mortified, if and when he ever finds out that this cat was not actually a cat.

He's met shapeshifters, before, but he's not used to thinking of people as capable of looking like animals. Sure, Taako can turn himself into a T-Rex and all that, but this isn't a T-Rex, just a regular kitty cat. Nothing to be suspicious of. ]

He's a little surprised by how well he's communicating with this dog, but honestly it's pretty nice. A canine companion is miles above a human one and really, he should've gotten a real dog years ago.

"What do you think, should we get something healthy or some chicken nuggets?" He reaches down idly to scratch Ivar's ears again, almost as if he isn't conscious of his actions. Almost like his fingers are magnetized to Ivar's fur. "You don't look like you need the fattening up, but still..."

After some deliberation he leads the dog into a dog cafe, where other dogs approach and sniff him curiously. It's a little fancier than Dodger usually goes for but listen, he just made an important friend. He even has the server bring Ivar a plate of what seems to be lightly cooked goat meat, by the smell of it, with bite-sized potatoes on the side. He didn't even get anything for himself, just a soda while he enjoys the sight of a dog having a nice day.

Stan is hesitant when Ivar gestures for him to come closer. He's not frightened by Ivar, of course. He's not really afraid of the pokemon either but there's discomfort and confusion about them. Given everything there is going on his this place, one would assume that Pokemon wouldn't even surprise him and yet here he is, wary and trying to explain them away as some sort of trick.

He does, come closer, after a bit of a delay, staring at the Pokemon and their unnaturalness.

"They're real?"

[It's only been a few days in and already Damian was growing bored with this place. There was no need for crime fighters and even there was he didn't have his uniform. Not that he really needed it. He was fully capable of handing someone their own ass with his bare hands. So when the offer of a fight with a historical world conqueror popped up, well, of course, he jumped to it.

Ivar might've thought he was the first to arrive, but Damian was there, hidden, observing his target. He was hot-headed, but he was still very much the assassin and that meant stealth. 'An axe.' He hasn't fought with one himself since his days at the compound, but he made note of the possible counter measurements and potential imbalances. He himself was only working with the escrima sticks he "borrowed" from Grayson's room and a poorly supplied utility belt. Where did one restock their C4 and smoke bombs around here?

Whatever, Ivar looks ready and Damian is itching to get started so he drops from his hiding spot in the trees, landing in front of Ivar. Remaining silent, (because come now, Ninjas don’t talk.) he raised his weapons and only smirked with a silent question of "Ready?" hanging in the air.]

Edited 2018-01-08 00:19 (UTC)

Letha stiffens a bit as Ivar touches her, and belatedly pulls away to hold her arm loosely. She wants his affection - she wants it desperately - but without knowing exactly where he stands at any moment has her nervous about it. Particularly after her last conversation with Lola.

"Is there anyone else she doesn't hurt? Or just you?" There's something in her tone that implies she's asking about a specific person.

And meanwhile, a ladybug has landed on Winter's leg while she was looking around for a new butterfly. She stares at it inquisitively, before the insect seems to shrivel slightly and fall to the ground. The grass around her is also starting to wilt, now that she's been sitting there long enough. It's noticeable enough now that Letha stiffens a bit more, radiating discomfort.

Edited 2018-01-08 01:49 (UTC)

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January monthly log!

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A: lmk if you need me to change anything.

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