witchesreign

[Namur sputters, grabs the nearest piece of paper, wads it up in about half a second flat and chucks it at Thatch.]

Yer so full a shit, bro!

[Aw, hell. Seems like as good a time as any to tackle him too, though it'll throw them both back out into the hallway.]

[Laughs until he gets a belly full of Fishman and and is driven out into the hall. He plants his foot into Namur's stomach and kicks up to knock him over his head]

[Namur lands on his hands, but there's not really room for a handspring to get him back on his feet, so he bounces off the wall and does a flip instead. He's still pretty bright red, but at least now he's grinning.]

That all y' got?

[he rolls to his feet, too, in a fighting pose.] Shouldn't you save some for the girlies?

SHEHEHEHEH Like hell! They only wish they could keep up with me!

[LUCKILY he's kind of hit the point where he can't blush any deeper so HA!]

[The door to his room is open behind Thatch, so he rushes him again, trying to knock him back into an area where the only one who might break them up is Zelos.]

Guess you'll have to be a lot more thorough with them, sensei!

[the rushing is pretty straightforward, Thatch can tell without even using haki and shifts to let Namur run into his outstretched arm, swinging around behind him and yanking his head back with an arm to the throat to give him a massive noogie]

[At least they're still crashing into the dorm, which was the point anyway. Namur chokes a bit at the initial stages of the noogie, but manages to position himself so it's more of a headlock.]

Yer one t' talk! How long's it been since y' took a actual woman on a date?

[Namur wiggles and tries to pry Thatch's arm away at least a little. It does help that he's sloped, and isn't as easy to hold on to.]

[Darn slippery Fishman. Thatch manages to keep his grip though and tickles under his gills with his other hand just to bug him]

Chasing women is a young man's sport. I no longer feel the need.

[not to mention everyone around here came in pretzel stick or smaller]

[It's probably just as well that Thatch took the "I'm an old man" route of things, since telling him about taking Maria to dinner would only give fuel to Thatch's argument. Namur does let out a burst of strangled laughter- damn it!- and redoubles his efforts to get free.]

Ace'd prob'ly get too jealous anyway.

[Screw this wiggling shit, it ain't working. Namur drops his shoulder and sidesteps to slam Thatch against the wall.]

[that works and Thatch grunts as he's slammed against the wall. He does not want to talk about that. Doesn't even want to think about it. The best said about anything like that the better]

Right.

[what were they wrestling about again? He had no damn idea]

You win. [have a hair ruffle]

Wanna come over for a drink?

[The fights never last long enough for Namur to be happy. But he straightens and throws his arm around Thatch's shoulders anyway.]

Sure! Hang on a second though. Got some here in the fridge t' use up 'fore the shitty room checks come 'round 'gain. 'Less Zelos took a shine t' it. Sheheheh!

[Namur vaults over the couch to get access to the kitchen, then comes back a few seconds later with a partially opened pack. He notices his laptop still open to the BBS website and closes the lid with his elbow.]

A'ight. Let's go.

Damn room checks. Your forty damn years old. Not a kid. [but this place treated him like just a cadet. Tch. Like they could even understand what Namur had been through. He leads the way back to his own room where he playfully kicks Namur's ass toward stool and goes to his own fridge to make a snack for them]

Think we could convince Marco to start a coup?

[Namur shrugs, blatantly ignores the literal ass kicking, and parks himself on the stool, plonking down the pack he brought on the counter, causing them to clink.]

Ain't bad. Jus' got t' get rid a the evidence 'fore they come through. Won't matter either way once I graduate. Wonder if they'll move me somewhere else, or if they'll heap Zelos on someone else?

[They'd better not move him far. He'd gotten too used to Namur close at hand. Even if he would be in the same Garden. Thatch shakes off the thought and makes some sushi with the last of the fish. It's not exactly fresh but it'll be serviceable]

You like it here?

[Namur shears the metal top off one of the bottles with his teeth and spits it onto the counter in front of him. He takes a long pull- which is more like just opening his mouth and dumping a quarter of the bottle's contents behind his rows of teeth- then wipes his mouth with his sleeve.]

Better'n T-Garden, that's for sure. Ain't nothin' like bein' at home, but...

[Namur drops his chin onto the counter, arms slung over the edge in front of him.]

Well, shit. Home prob'ly ain't nothin' like home anymore by this point anyway. Might as well make the best a shit.

Trabia was all right. [he still feels a bit of affection for the garden that had put up with their--his shit for so long. Balamb was better, he had to admit, if he had to be in a Garden at all.

He puts the sushi on the table and kicks back, opening his beer and taking a drink so his mouth will be full as he grunts to say he heard Namur's statement. Though he'd be damned if he agreed with it]

Gonna settle down, then? Raise some spawn? You'd have your choice of the pool.

[If eye rolling were a sport Namur would be winning the world championship right now.]

Naw. Think Sal's last one was mine an' that's good 'nuff. 'Sides, Time Compression's a dumbass son of a bitch an' probably'd take the girl an' net me with the spawn an' I ain't any good for that kind a shit. Sendin' money an' gettin' 'em in a bit a trouble every so often's one thing, but all day, every day? Hell no.

[He sits up and takes another drink.]

'Sides, 'maids 'round here ain't hot for me. Curious a little but it ain't the right kind.

Are you sure about that? [he leans forward and rests his chin on his fist, smirking at Namur, though completely serious]

Want me to set you up with some nice tail? Just for fun? [he could. He wasn't sure how just yet, but this kind of thing was right up his alley.]

Sheheheh! If y' find a girl 'round here with a nice long tail an' a pretty little fin I'll be happy as a damn clownfish. Don't see it happenin' any time soon, though.

[Shut up he isn't blushing.]

If I saw a 'maid like that you might have to fight me for her.

[though not really. He wouldn't begrudge his friend the chance at someone like that.] Maybe one day...

[he glances at Namur, and then away, sipping at his drink. He takes a roll of sushi and pops it into his mouth]

What would you say if I wanted to mess with time.

[You know, hypothetically]

Feel better if I had t', honestly.

[Thatch taking a thoughtful turn gave Namur enough time to snatch a couple rolls for himself.]

Ain't that Marco's plan too? Shit's already mucked up t' the surface, so why the hell not go for it?

Yes but he's doing it all... [Thatch waves a hand] ...esoterically. [like Marco does. Pecking at the problem from all sides without attacking the actual center.]

I want to dig into the actual magic. See if I can manipulate it. [or maybe even stop it completely]

Like a Sorceress? Got t' be careful then. World'll sic itself on y' faster'n a 'maid with a back current. We ain't strong 'nuff t' hold 'em off y' yet. Need more men. More a us. An' a place t' call home that ain't borrowed.

Tch. [Damnit, Namur. Don't make sense like that. But it made sense. It was too big of a risk to take now. Small as they were. Confined as they were.]

I wouldn't wish this place on anyone, even if they are one of us. Especially us.

[He's not saying don't. He's saying don't let anyone know.]

Yeah... maybe some day we'll get 'nuff a crew t' head out t' sea for real. Sail 'round, givin' people 'nother option 'sides SeeD an' Sol Invictus. Maybe find a nice island t' claim where people that don't want t' be pirates can live. Farm an' fish an' shit if they want, y' know?

[Namur takes another drink, moves over to the couch.]

Ain't goin' t' stop the problem though. People's jus' goin' t' keep showin' up an' disappearin' long as time's out a whack or whatever. Kind a get where the natives're comin' from on that front. Feelin' like they're bein' invaded. But it ain't like we got a choice in the damn matter, an' that makes no one happy. Best place t' figure out what's goin' on an' stop it though's here in Garden.

[He shrugs, and pops a few more rolls of sushi into his mouth.]

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