Hey everyone! :) This is going to be all over the place, I'm overly caffeinated 😅

I thought it would be kind of fun to share some things I used as inspiration for this story as well as a very brief description of where I was planning to go with the story when I was first putting the idea together.

The idea for this story came to me when I was doing laundry, of all things. This was when season six was just being aired on TV. This song, Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea came on my YouTube playlist and the chorus just kind of hit me, I immediately saw it from Ivar's perspective. Particularly the line "welcome to my cage, little lover". I wanted to make a story based off of that, Ivar roping in someone who he has feelings for and like dragging her down to his level and ultimately "going up in flames", their lives both being blown up due to this crazy obsessive kind of love.

The berth surrounding my body, crushing every bit of bone
The salt, it seeps in through the pores of my open skin
I wait on you inside the bottom of the deep blue sea
I wait on you inside the bottom of the deep blueWelcome to my cage, little lover
Attempt to rearrange with you, baby
Still don't know your name, miss honey
Let's go up in flames, pretty lady

Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea by MISSIO           https://youtu.be/CFEBriOa1x0

I always forget about this band, they're like a flash in the pan for me; I stumble across them and LOVE them and then I wake up one morning and forget them completely. That being said, I stumbled across them again and heard their newer song "Villain" and again, TOTALLY IVAR!

Risk my life with certain wants that lead to my decay
Twist my arm and suffocate all the fame away
I know, I've got a lot to learnComplicated and a mess, slightly OCD
Take for granted many things that mean a lot to me
I know, I've got a lot to learnI was raised as a scorpion being pulled by the moon in a high tide
That's why I'm brokenAm I a villain or a saint? Let me lead the way
Resting bitch face on the move, fuck you have to say
I know, I am tough as a stoneI've lived a lot of life that not a lot will understand
The type of life that gives you scars before you take command
I know, I am tough as a stoneI know this hurts a lot
It's not my fault it never was
And I know I'm tough like stone
But right now, please hug me
I feel alone

Villain by MISSIO         https://youtu.be/TXv5kW4Umh8

Some other songs I used as inspiration:

Love You To Death by Starset (they covered this song, originally by Type O Negative)

Cut On My Lip by Twenty One Pilots

Little One by Highly Suspect

My Name Is Human by Highly Suspect

Black Honey by Thrice

The Waiting Game by Kalandra

I was originally going to have my story take place during season six, when Ivar was in Kiev. I wanted to make the back story of their relationship but wasn't originally planning to go into as much detail as I did, that's why I feel the first few chapters are very choppy and short. But I went into it and that essentially became the story that it is and overall I like where it went.

But here is a very rough Idea of what I orignaly planned to write:

Briet and Ivar were going to be on the outs once getting back from England. Ivar was going to be in obsession with Freydis and Briet was trying to convince Ivar that she was evil. Freydis was ultimately convinces Ivar that Briet was the crazy one and Ivar was going to send Briet out on the silk road. She was going to be sold back into slavery and would have wound up as one of Oleg's slaves in Kiev.

When Ivar got to Kiev he was going see just how awful Briet's life has been since he sent her away. Because she was from another land, beautiful and had lighter hair, she was desired and being a slave, she couldn't say no. If you get where I'm going with that.

When Oleg is questioning Ivar, he noticed that they knew each other and as a "gift" to his new friend, Oleg gives Briet to Ivar as his own personal thrall. Ivar was going to have to try and convince Briet that he has changed and that he always loved her- blah, blah, blah.

Over time she was going to see just how much he has changed when she watches him with Prince Igor and sees how tender he is. Then that chick shows up, Oleg's wife, the one who looks just like Freydis but with black hair.

I don't remember where I was going to go from there, it's been like three years since I started this and as you can see the story has changed. Again, I am really happy with where it went, I think it would have been too much to write all this and then have it go into the story line of season six and follow all of that.

These are some of the pictures I used as inspo to get into this world. I don't own any of these images, I collected them all from pinterest but I figured I would share some of them in case they help anyone with their current story :)