Return of the hung-over Viking

[bigarmy_strangepants]

[[OOC: Context: Ragnar had some very uncomfortable ideas planted in his head by young!Moriarty, and then walked off into the mountains to get drunk think about them.]]


The back door to the lake and garden opens, and Ragnar Lothbrok walks in. He looks a bit dirty and scruffy, and if you get close, you'll notice that he smells of unwashed Viking.

He walks up to the bar and orders a pint of beer, which he drains to over half mark before putting it down again. He sighs, opens his magical belt pouch, gets out a bottle and puts it on the bar counter where it vanishes.

And another.

And another.

And another...

Comments

[runningred]

"It'll help you feel better after a bender." Jay nods, ordering himself a coffee. "It has a lot of the things your body loses when you're exercising or drinking heavily."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Ragnar drinks a bit more of that stuff.

"So it's not supposed to taste nice?" he says. "Well, thank you very much."

He deposits a few more bottles.

"I didn't drink that all at once. I've been in the mountains for a few days."

More like a week.

[runningred]

"No, it's more medicinal than tasty."

Jay raises an eyebrow. "Is the booze the only thing you took with you?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"A seax and a bowl and a blanket," Ragnar says. "Everything else is out there anyway."

[runningred]

"But you took booze enough to pickle your liver." He cocks his head. "Ragnar, is there something you want to talk about?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

Sigh.

"It was something I needed to think about," Ragnar says. "Booze helps."

[runningred]

Jay nods. "As long as you look after yourself afterwards, hey?" He doesn't want to push if Ragnar doesn't want to talk.

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"A bath might help," Ragnar admits.

Pause.

"Do they have that thing called Stockholm Syndrome in your world?"

[runningred]

"It might. If nothing else, a bath will help clear your head."

"Stockholm Syndrome. Yeah, I know about that. What makes you ask?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Jim mentioned it the other day," Ragnar says. "I hadn't heard about it before."

[runningred]

"And the idea bothers you?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes," Ragnar says, grimly.

[runningred]

Jay cocks his head, studying Ragnar's face. "Athelstan?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes. Seems I did that to him."

[runningred]

"Ah." Jay leans against the bar, sipping his coffee.

He thinks over it for a long moment, considering his next words "That's... possible. Survivor adaptation can become Stockholm Syndrome."

He puts a hand out to stop Ragnar from reacting just yet. "But before you fixate on that, consider this - Stockholm Syndrome generally results from sustained abuse and manipulation. What I've seen of you and Athelstan; that's not abuse or manipulation. What I've seen between you is genuine love. A friendship that's developed over time into something deeper."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It is?" Ragnar says, sounding both shocked and relieved at the same time. Jay can tell the difference?

"There is a difference between survivor adaptation and that Stockholm thing?"

And no, he didn't manipulate Athelstan sustainedly -- made him drunk to get him to talk about England, but that was once, in the very beginning.

[runningred]

"It is. Believe me, Ragnar, it wouldn't bother you so much if you didn't love him. Heart and soul."

"Stockholm Syndrome results from an abuser's manipulations whereas survivor adaptation comes from the survivor finding ways to live with the situation but changing their behaviours to fit in. As far as I understand it. You could try talking to Sam, he might be able to tell you more about it."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I do love him heart and soul -- that's why it hurts so much to think he only..."

Pause.

"And that he needs to be free of me, and I can't help him. Who is Sam?"

[runningred]

"He's not only anything, Ragnar." Jay cuts him off. "Trust me on that. He's a mess right now, yeah but that's not your fault."

"Sam's the guy who runs the Fight Club thing. Tall, dark skinned, short cut hair. He's a councillor for ex-military people and a good guy to talk to."

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"I will try and find him -- thanks," Ragnar says.

Silence.

"But Athelstan is -- he's getting further and further away from me because he's so hurt and keeps hurting and fearing the future, and nothing I can say and do helps, and he doesn't want to touch me any more, and he's moved out of our rooms back into the one where he lived before..."

[runningred]

Jay listens in silence, letting Ragnar get it out. "It's a good sign that he's making decisions, even if it's deciding to get some distance. How are you dealing with that?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"It hurts," Ragnar says. "It hurts to see him hurting and do nothing. But words don't help, and he doesn't want to be touched, and there is nothing I can do right away to make things better."

Beat.

"Short of pushing him out his door and going out mine, and getting through everything, and that would hurt him even more at first."

[runningred]

Jay gives him a gentle shoulder squeeze, offering Ranger support. "He's stalled here?"

[bigarmy_strangepants]

"Yes," Ragnar says. "He doesn't want to go back to captivity in England, in the unkind hands of King Ecbert who pretends to be nice and then treats him horribly in small, undramatic ways that terrify him. How can I push him back there? So I stay here with him, even if he doesn't even want me around any more."

[runningred]

"Maybe it's better to go back on your own. I don't know how time works with two of you but it might give you both what you need - space for him and gives you something to do."