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[throughbamboo]

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[throughbamboo]

[. . .

He frowns and looks over]

Whaddaya mean?

[themightybosstone]

[ He tilts his empty beer bottle back and forth. And orders a second round. It's a good way to give himself time to order his thoughts a bit. ]

Someone who knows me better than fuckin' anyone told me... that uh, that's just who I am. Who I've always been.

So I've been giving it a think.

And I can't say he's actually wrong.

[throughbamboo]

[the frown deepens as he puts his bottle down, shifting a bit to better look at Brocade]

How so? 'Cuz ya never struck me that way.

[themightybosstone]

I can't exactly say I don't like hurting people.

Dude, I do. I LOVE fightin'.

But like, I weren't able to notice all this time that one of my buds actually didn't.

[ Cracks open the next one and takes a big gulp ]

And that makes me the worst.

[throughbamboo]

Lovin' a fight an' lovin' hurtin' people are two very different things, Brocade.

[themightybosstone]

Can't do one without the other, bro. And it's what I'm good at.

[throughbamboo]

Y'don't love fightin' 'cuz ya get to hurt people, do ya?

[themightybosstone]

...

I dunno.

I don't think so, like, don't go past the bell or the tap, yeah?

[throughbamboo]

[he nods a little]

And you'd stop if someone told ya to, right?

[themightybosstone]

Bro, that time I did.

I been gettin' real mad lately. Ways I never done before.

[throughbamboo]

Like when we fought?

[themightybosstone]

Yeah.

[throughbamboo]

. . . is it those visions makin' ya mad? That's what did it then, yeah?

[themightybosstone]

S'when it started, at least.

I dunno, maybe it just, opened up something I always had goin'.

[throughbamboo]

[picks his beer up again to take a drink]

Could have. N' it'd be normal, 'specially with all this shit goin' on around this damn boat. Folks got limits to keepin' that shit under wraps.

I don't think you'd let it get the better of ya, though.

[themightybosstone]

...

How you managing, bro?

[throughbamboo]

Oi, this ain't about me.

[he takes another drink and opens his mouth to give his standard answer, but . . . ]

Ya weren't the only one who needed a fight the other day. Usually havin' somethin' to work on helps, y'know? Keeps me focused. But it's startin' to feel like it ain't enough. Fightin' you, though? Exactly what I needed.

[a gesture with his bottle]

Started after one of those visions.

[themightybosstone]

You too...

[throughbamboo]

Me too.

[themightybosstone]

I don't know if... I'm gonna stop with the visions.

... Might need t'lean on you a bit.

[throughbamboo]

[nods, making an understanding noise]

'M not stoppin' either.

You know can lean on me whenever ya need to, 'Cade.

[themightybosstone]

[ He lets out a breath. ]

I REALLY 'preciate that...

[throughbamboo]

[reaches over to squeeze his shoulder]

All ya gotta do is call me.

[themightybosstone]

Same. You know? Don't gotta tell me nothing. Just like, RR or come hang.

[throughbamboo]

Same to ya, 'course. Just say the word.