Outside a Metal Bar and Beyond, Baltimore, Thursday Evening

[suitably_heroic]

"Okay," Atton said, staring back at the door he'd just been thrown out through. "Okay, that could have gone better."

One of these days he was going to charm his way back into Linda's good graces. Damn it all. She'd yelled at him some more about being a jackass when he and Sparkle'd tried to come in acting like nothing had ever happened (what? It worked with Sia), but that clearly hadn't worked out for him all that well.

And okay, he did have some more aces up his sleeves if he wanted to use them, but he was... kind of trying not to do that.

"But hey, the night's still young, right?" Right.

The night was young! And cold. Very, very cold.

[[ for sparkle and misadventure. ]]

Comments

[myownface]

"Aw, you won't regret it when you're strutting across the dance floor, with big beefy guys trying to mosh you back off again," Sparkle countered, making his way toward the McD's. "Anyhow, it's not that bad. I'm not going to make you look like a bigger freak any anyone else we saw in there tonight."

Considering the number of people with safety pins through their eyebrows, this was possibly not saying much.

[suitably_heroic]

"I should never have come here on a Thursday," Atton muttered. "It's quieter on Saturdays. I could just get drunk and talk to the locals."

And by locals he meant the girls with safety pins through their eyebrows.

He followed after Sparkle, muttering complaints under his breath.

[myownface]

And Sparkle grinned and silently mouthed 'blah blah whine whine,' as he led Atton confidently straight to the men's room at the restaurant.

"Here," he said, setting his backpack on the set counter by the sink. "Throw these on, first. It'll make your hair easier later."

Yes, he was pulling out some unholy combination of torn black t-shirt and fishnet, just for you, Atton.

[suitably_heroic]

"This is a joke, right?" Atton said, holding up the shirt. "You fished this out of a lake somewhere?"

[myownface]

"Thrift store chic," Sparkle countered, leaning back against the countertop with a grin. "You wanna get in there without people recognizing you, or not?"

[suitably_heroic]

Atton didn't do hygiene, but he did have standards, Sparkle...! Or, well, this edition of him did. Whatever, it didn't matter, since apparently the fishnets passed the bar after another couple of annoyed faces.

"If this doesn't work," he muttered, tagging the shirt over his head next.

[myownface]

"If it doesn't work, at least you'll give the ladies something to look at when we get thrown out again," Sparkle replied, smirking and, yes, ogling. Why not? "What's not to like about that?"

[suitably_heroic]

Atton raised his voice to point out exactly what and how far Sparkle could put it somewhere unpleasant-- "Yeah, okay, good point."

If he got to go home with some girl tonight, Sparkle was completely off the hook.

[myownface]

Aw yeah. Appeal to the desire to get laid, and you'll go far. Lessons from a guy named Sparkle.

"Thought so. Now c'mere, I'm gonna do your eyes."

Yes, that was eyeliner he was pulling from his bag.

[suitably_heroic]

This was for drinks, good music, and girls. Drinks, good music, and girls. Drinks, good music, and girls.

"Don't stab anything out."

He'd just sit here. And look annoyed.

[myownface]

"Don't do anything stupid like ram your face against the pencil, and we don't have that problem," Sparkle countered. "Now, just with your eyes, look up."

Oh, this was the best night out ever.

[suitably_heroic]

"I mean it," Atton said, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling.

See? He could do what you said and be an ass about it.

[myownface]

"Yeah?" Sparkle rolled his eyes too, just briefly, before he got to work putting makeup on Atton's face. "So did I. You think you can sit still for like five minutes, here?"

It would be an exercise in patience, right?

[suitably_heroic]

"I am sitting still," Atton pointed out. "Space, you do this every day?"

[myownface]

"Every day I show my face in public," Sparkle confirmed. "I'll be washing mine off before we head back in, though. See, that's how much I care, man."

Because, really, he kind of stood out as he was. He looked pretty different himself, without makeup.

"So, lips or no lips?"

Because.

[suitably_heroic]

"No," Atton said.

Look, if Sparkle wasn't sure, he was definitely not going to do it. No.

[myownface]

"Baby," Sparkle accused, putting his eyeliner pencil away and pulling out the kohl. "It would make you harder to recognize, that's all. But we'll skip it this time around, anyhow."

Because Sparks was kind like that.

[suitably_heroic]

Kind, and still getting glared at. Life just wasn't fair. "Yeah, yeah," Atton said. "Just do the hair thing and let's get out of here, all right, kid?"

[myownface]

"You're rushing an artist, Atton," Sparkle chided, rummaging through his bag for his hairspray. "Good things take time, you know."

Aha! Presto!

... Yes, he had hairspray in his backpack. Why not?

[suitably_heroic]

Atton would actually quibble less with the hairspray, because in a pinch, that made for a decent weapon. "You treat people at the clothing store like this?" he asked.

[myownface]

"Nope. You paying me for this?"

It seemed like a fair enough question to Sparkle, anyhow, as he attacked Atton's hair with spray and a comb.

[suitably_heroic]

"I was going to buy you a drink later," Atton said, "But I'm reconsidering it-- ow."

[myownface]

"Oh, did that pull?" Sparkle was gonna do it again, just to make sure he got that snarl out. "Probably wouldn't have that problem if you like ever took a comb to this hair. Oh my god Atton your hair is great and this is what you give me to work with?"

Take that from Sparkle however you will.

[suitably_heroic]

"My hair is just there to keep my head warm!" Atton said. Ow ow ow ow ow ow Sparkle was some kind of maniac, wasn't he? "Space!"

[myownface]

... It took Atton this long to figure out that Sparks was a maniac? Really?

"Don't you space me," he scolded with a quick whap of the comb to the top of Atton's head. "I'm halfway there, you know. Which is like some sort of miracle you have no idea considering you like don't seem to give a shit about how you look."

And another good spritz of hairspray, a few adjustments here and there, and Sparkle nodded to the mirror.

"Presto."