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[weaponwithoutpurpose]

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[pharadyne]

[Norton has a sip of his gin, then coughs and wheezes, wishing he'd cut it with some tonic first. Not the elegant start to his reply that he'd hoped for, but he recovers and answers.]

I think you're a protector by nature, but circumstances made you very parsimonious with what you're inclined to protect. And it's become so twisted up that it sometimes becomes the opposite and you hurt what you might have otherwise been inclined to try to save. Miller. John. Humanity.

That's first impressions only.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He narrows his eyes at the cough and takes a drink of his own glass.]

We aren't talking about John. [About the sacrifice he made because of Joseph. Because of God.]

Humanity is doomed, Norton. I certainly didn't have a hand in that. They managed it all on their own.

[pharadyne]

I don't mean the entire human race. That's a lot responsibility to put on one person's shoulders and I should know. I mean the humanity right around you. Your community. The ones you shaped.

Why aren't we talking about John?

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Because you fucked him. [He sits back.]

So you're not exactly the most unbiased fucking opinion, are you?

[pharadyne]

[Norton sniffs at that.] Oh please, fucking someone doesn't make me biased. I've fucked a lot of people. Some of them I didn't even like very much.

[But he doesn't actually say he's unbiased about John.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He reaches down to stroke a hand down Mae's back.]

You're still biased, Norton. Jesus Christ.

We aren't talking about John. Or Joseph. Or Miller.

So. Try again.

[pharadyne]

I'd ask what you want to talk about but I suspect the answer is "nothing."

Maybe we should get back to basics for the moment. How are you? Need anything? Cabin improvements? Booze? Blowjob?

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He relaxes when it's clear that he's not going to have to talk, and Norton actually gets a chuckle out of him with that last one.]

Cabin's fine. Saga did what I needed. Got enough booze but - we're at a port now, aren't we? You gonna let me off?

[pharadyne]

Yes, with a few small stipulations. One: don't murder the locals. If someone jumps you and tries to hurt you absolutely feel free to teach them a lesson they won't be able to put into practice because they'll be dead, but no cold-blooded killing or needlessly antagonizing. Two: don't try to smuggle weapons on board or anything like that. I've been an inmate, I know how that goes. I assume Trevor's probably already given you more knives than a chef's kitchen anyway, but if you need additional weapons, ask me and I'll consider it. No sneaky-sneak about it. Three: I'd like you to give me a hand with a few errands. I won't be a total limpet but we ought to spend some time together and check in now and then.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He takes his gun from where it's stashed in his waistband and places it on the table between them, facing the wall. He doesn't remove Astarion's dagger from his boot, though.]

That's all I've got on me. Yeah, from Trevor. Saga tell you about the one-bullet thing?

[He will address the rest of it in a moment, but first this.]

[pharadyne]

She did. So I assumed you had a firearm for it to apply to. Keep it.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Good. [He leaves it on the table a moment.]

I'll help you with your gathering shit. If it'll keep you from getting yourself mugged in an alley or something, then fine. I'll tag along. [No sense showing how eager he is for a list to be a form of sanity.]

Not planning on smuggling anything in. If I wanted to go around you, I would. [He picks up the bottle and refills his glass.]

Don't really like cities, though, so I'm not planning on staying out much.

[pharadyne]

I've noticed there's two kinds of country boys. The kind that come to a city and never want to leave again and the kind that come to a city and can't wait to get out.

[It's clear which one Jacob is. Norton grins broadly.]

I won't ask you to come club-hopping with me then.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He smirks.]

That's all yours. Not exactly wardenly behavior though, is it?

[Another drink and he finally starts to relax more. Not losing his weapons, not being confined to the ship, not having to talk. It's all working out for him.]

[pharadyne]

Just because I'm a warden doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have fun. [He takes another sip of his drink and only coughs a little this time.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

With all your drinking and clubbing and fucking - are you going to actually have time to be a warden? [He smirks at the small cough.]

Need a little tonic with it?

[pharadyne]

I can do both. Or all four. You know what I mean. [He knocks back the rest of his gin with one large gulp, makes a contorted face with lots of "blegh" noises and tongue sticking out, then stands up and heads to the kitchenette to get some tonic, since Jacob's brought it up.]

Straight gin is like licking a juniper bush soaked in turpentine.

Just because I like to have fun doesn't mean you're going to get out of being wardened, Mister.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Yeah?

[He calls out to him in the kitchen.]

Think you can warden on your knees?

[He intends it as a joke, but it just brings Astarion to mind, something he had wanted to try and forget. ]

[pharadyne]

You bet I can. I'm amazing on my knees. [He finds the tonic and carries it back to his glass, filling it with equal parts tonic and gin. Proper cocktail acquired, he sits on the arm of Jacob's chair.]

Everyone says so. ["Everyone" = Norton]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[Sweeney had said that wardens don't fuck their inmates. But here's Norton, sitting in the arm of the chair, looking like he belongs. There are a thousand reasons he shouldn't do any of this. But he slides an arm around his waist, holding his drink in his other hand, leaning his head back against the chair.

He had a thing with John. He's his warden. Jacob doesn't want anything from him except the oblivion he might give him.

None of those reasons are good enough to stop him from curling his arm around him.]

No one fucking says that. You're full of shit.

[pharadyne]

[Norton thinks he ought to be surprised by Jacob's arm around his waist, but he isn't really. He's been flirting, and he's gorgeous (in his humble opinion), and sex is a way to feel good when things are otherwise bad. He takes another sip of his drink and then leans over to set the glass on the table.]

I say that, and I'm not no one.

[Norton slides down onto Jacob's lap. Doctor Sheehan would be appalled, but Norton's not sure that isn't a plus. Anyway, this is rapport building.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He doesn't know about feel good. It feels like something, if oblivion is something. Which is better than the apathy that plagues him normally.

He leans back with his drink in hand.]

Then prove it. Guess I'll be the judge.

[pharadyne]

Challenge accepted.

[He slithers down to the floor, dragging his hands along Jacob's chest until he's on his knees in front of chair with his palms resting on Jacob's thighs.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[Jacob drinks from the glass, looking over Norton's shoulder as he adjusts himself in the chair. He places his hand on Norton's, bringing it to his mouth to press a kiss to his fingers. A moment of gentleness when the rest of it means nothing. Just a way to keep surviving as the Barge continues on in its ceaseless path.]

You gonna get demoted for this?

[pharadyne]

I shouldn't think so. I'm not hurting you, quite the opposite. And I slept with a few of my temporary wardens when I was an inmate. No demotions there.

[His fingers drift over Jacob's trousers.]