Training Room, the Jedi Temple, Monday Morning

[suitably_heroic]

Atton wasn't out of practice. He'd been on his fair share of missions over the past year - not even counting the Sia thing - just not anything that could bring him close to any of the other Jedi. But now he was back, and he needed a sparring partner.

And either Visas had gotten worse, or he had gotten better. He wasn't sure. What he did know was that he'd defeated her six times so far, and she'd beaten him exactly never. Her apprentice hung over the railing of the balcony above, watching them curiously. And...

"Why don't you come down here, Mira?" Atton bellowed, looking straight towards the entrance. He parried a blow from Visas with both blades. "Give me a little challenge already!"

You could kind of tell Visas was frowning by the tilt of her mouth. "I don't need assistance."

"No, but I want somebody else in here," Atton retorted, raising his eyebrows at Mira.

Mira's own eyebrows raised back. "Having fun feeding your ego?" she asked, casually tossing a bag aside. "Fine."

She lit her blade and rushed forward, planning to come at Atton's legs while he was occupied with Visas's blade. Instead he flipped up, landing on his feet several feet away - he caught her blow on one blade and then Visas's next one on the other, dancing across the gym.

By the time Mical walked in, a small crowd had formed on the balcony. Watching Atton spin, duck, catch a 'saber, push away another one. "C'mon! Is that the best you've got?!"

"Someone has been overfocusing on their combat skills," Mical muttered to his apprentice.

Ten seconds later, he was getting pushed into the ring too.

[[ open. ]]

Comments

[myownface]

Really, it didn't take much, when Sparkle noticed a crowd forming, for him to go and join it. That was the natural way of things, right? Something was worth having an audience, you went to see who was having their ass handed to them or whatever. People were like sheep that way.

And anyway, Sparkle loved a show. But this one was...

Well... not unexpected, no. He knew Atton could kick ass. But the sheer amount of ass that he was kicking was impressive in his own right. He blinked, and then tried to elbow through the crowd in order to get a better look.

Better that than balking and heading in the other direction. This was definite forward progress from the Sparkle of two years ago.

"Damn," he said, tilting his head. "I knew he was good, but now he's good with added perspective."

[suitably_heroic]

Admittedly, Atton was starting to have a little too much fun with Mical in the mix. Sure, he was getting beaten back now - three 'saber-wielding badasses against one was still bad odds, no matter how good you were.

But screw it. They were about to take him down. He could...

... leap up into the air, pushing off with as much power as he could ...

... and slam his feet right into Mical's face.

Then Visas's and Mira's lightsabers were at his throat, but he was grinning maniacally. "At least I make losing look good."

[myownface]

And there was no way Sparkle was going to be able to hold back his delighted cheer at that foot-slam, no. Or the accompanying profanity to go with it as he threw a fist into the air.

It was just really satisfying to see Mical get the business end of Atton's feet, okay? Like, a lot.

Somebody was still holding a grudge from the last time, yes. Sparkle held grudges like a champ.

"At least your last few seconds would be really satisfying," he called over.

... There were probably a few apprentices who were looking at him strangely, and Sparkle didn't care.

[suitably_heroic]

"Was that really necessary," Mical grumbled, taking Mira's hand as she tugged him up.

She shrugged. "Maybe a little," she said.

Atton smirked lazily at all of them and sauntered through the crowd, turning off his lightsabers with a hiss. "Could've died happy right there," he said.

[myownface]

"I almost died happy just witnessing it," Sparkle said, making his way over to Atton, grinning. "Please tell me somebody was recording that? Shit, I should have pulled out my phone to record that. I might have to settle for re-playing it in my mind for posterity for the rest of my life."

He really held his grudges.

[suitably_heroic]

"I can always try and see if he's up for a rematch later," Atton said, tossing a shit-eating grin over his shoulder.

"Very mature, Atton," Mical sighed.

[myownface]

"I'll remember to record that one," Sparkle decided breezily. "Then I can pull it out and play it back every time he loses his head somewhere up his own ass."

So, constantly.

On loop.

[suitably_heroic]

"And Sparkle," Mical said, raising his voice. "It is good to see you as well. I hope you'll find your stay agreeable." He brushed off his tunic.

Atton shook his head. "You want to blow this place and get some food?" he said. "I'm starving."

[myownface]

Sparkle just gave Mical an answering smile that was sharp as knives, and then turned his attention back to Atton.

"Actually, that sounds great," he replied. "I haven't had nerf I haven't had to cook myself in forever."

[suitably_heroic]

"Right, no restaurants that do vegetables. I'm on board with that," Atton said, picking his robes up off the floor as he walked towards the exit.

"Master Rand! Master Rand!"

That came from one of the apprentices, a young Twi'lek whose name Atton distantly remembered. "Are you teaching lightsaber class this semester, Master Rand?"

Atton sighed. Loudly. "Ask me again in the morning," he muttered.

[myownface]

"Looks like you have a fan club," Sparkle noted, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning too much. "Guess that's what happens when you kick that much ass with an audience, huh?"

Look, it was funny. 'Master Rand' was hi-la-ri-ous.

[suitably_heroic]

"Remind me to stop doing that," Atton said, pulling a face. "There's a reason I didn't pick up a stray nexu myself."

[myownface]

"And here I figured it was because you already have to deal with me and all of my shit," Sparkle said, smirking a little. "Don't tell me you just don't like the attention?"

[suitably_heroic]

"If I wanted attention, I'd gun for Mical's job," Atton said, walking out into the hallway. "I'd be better at it, too."

Sure, a grumpy asshole would be better at running the Jedi Temple than a born and raised diplomat-spy.

[myownface]

"At the very least, you'd give people the credit they're due," Sparkle noted, frowning a little.

Yes, definitely still sore that everything he'd talked to Mical about regarding trusting the Jedi working with him had gone straight to the shitter right when it had mattered most.

"Wouldn't that be new and fun."

[suitably_heroic]

"But I'd give them their due because I don't want to do whatever they're planning to do and I don't want to deal with having to explain why we did whatever they're doing, and, eugh," Atton said. "This is why I don't like being in command, Sparkle."

[myownface]

"Fair," Sparkle said, pausing for a moment. "I wouldn't want any of that, either. Sounds like too much of a pain in the ass, really."

Maybe it was for the best that Mical got to do the pain in the ass job, after all. Like went with like.

[suitably_heroic]

"Hey, you have more responsibility than me," Atton said. "Don't you have minions or something?"

[myownface]

"I have exactly one minion, and she's doing some kind of finding herself summer walkabout thing until the fall," Sparkle replied. "So it's totally possible that, as long as you're here, you have more responsibility than I do."

But Sparkle was still attempting to be a commuter like a stupid person. It balanced out.

[suitably_heroic]

"You have one minion," Atton said, holding up a finger. "I have--" he held up a fist. "Zero minions."

[myownface]

"At present that is also my number of minions. Hell, I think I am a minion? Which might be a demotion from sidekick..."

It was so easy to lose track.

[suitably_heroic]

"You didn't fire her and she didn't quit, right?" Atton said, ignoring that last part.

[myownface]

"These are both true things," Sparkle allowed. Grudgingly.

Damn you for being correct, Atton.

[suitably_heroic]

"Then you still have a minion, I don't, and we can finally start pretending that you're the old one and I'm the cool young kid on the block that can't get pinned down."

[myownface]

Sparkle laughed at that. Couldn't help it.

"If pretending is what gets you through the day," he said easily. "Speaking of, I don't suppose you would be up for getting back into training me again? I try to keep it up, but it's easier with someone kicking my ass while I do it."

And maybe between Atton, Leto and his knives, and Ino with her materia, Sparkle would not be a total lost cause.

At least he'd ditched the archery way back after the 'Alec' days.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton pulled a face. "Sure, I guess," he said. "What'd you have in mind?"

[myownface]

Sparkle shrugged his shoulders a little, looking thoughtful.

"I'm never going to be able to do anything like what you just did back there, I know that," he replied. "But I wouldn't mind knowing what to do if someone who isn't a Jedi comes at me with one of those fucking vibro-things again."

He was here. He might as well face it.

[suitably_heroic]

"Fine, but we're starting with a wooden one so you don't cut your fingers off," Atton said, waving expressively. "Because that would be a pain in my ass."

[myownface]

"I enjoy having fingers," Sparkle said brightly, "so I'm not gonna argue at all."

He had, like, six knives on his person at any given point in time, but those were smaller. Basically just daggers. The theory was different. And they didn't, like, try to play the role of an enthusiastic electric meat carver or anything.

[suitably_heroic]

"Good, 'cause this galaxy already works overtime making sure people lose their limbs," Atton said, "And you can't cook with no hands."

This would of course be a tragedy.

[myownface]

"I can't cook with no hands," Sparkle agreed. "Or sew. Or pick locks! I like picking locks."

Because Sparkle's sense of stupid had zero chill.

[suitably_heroic]

"Okay, the temple is full of teenagers right now, so I'm going to give you some advice: don't pick any locks," Atton said, after a pause. "Because you're officially at the 'that's creepy' age now."

[myownface]

"What? Ew, I'm not Lew," Sparkle complained, wrinkling his nose and recoiling a little at the thought. "Besides, this is, like, home for the time being. You don't steal from home anyway."

[suitably_heroic]

"Good," Atton said. He took a turn into the hall and strolled towards the exit - and those stupid karking massive stairs outside. "Can I tell you it's a relief I'm not roommate to a karking teenager anymore?"

[myownface]

"I mean, I haven't been a teenager for like a year now," Sparkle pointed out. "But, uh, you're welcome, I guess?"

For getting older! Go Sparkle!

[suitably_heroic]

"I know, but I figured I'd wait a year before I said it, just to be sure," Atton said, rolling his eyes. "Guess now we can start buying you all that alcohol you've been drinking for years."

[myownface]

"Yeaaah, not much is going to change there, except that the cheap thrill I used to get from doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing is gone, now."

Which was kind of tragic. Honest.

"Guess I'll have to find some kind of new trouble to get into. Parking infractions or something."

Which would make for more trouble still, given that Sparkle didn't have a driver's permit.

[suitably_heroic]

"That reminds me," Atton said, sticking his hands in the pockets of his robe as he walked down the stairs. "We should probably teach you how to fly an airspeeder."

[myownface]

"Oh god, that would be cool," Sparkle said, by some miracle managing to not trip over his own feet and go for a tumble as he immediately fixated on that suggestion. "I promise not to incorporate an airspeeder into any really stupid ideas I have as like a getaway vehicle or something."

He paused.

"Unless it's actually a really good stupid idea."

He was probably kidding! Maybe!

[suitably_heroic]

"I'm not going to lie, I might need a getaway vehicle at some point if this keeps up," Atton said. "But I think if we need to get away fast in Coruscant traffic, I'd rather be driving."

[myownface]

"Yeaaah," Sparkle agreed, glancing around. "I think in case of a speedy getaway around here, I might have to settle for being the plucky non-teenage sidekick, making snarky remarks from the passenger's seat."

[suitably_heroic]

"Maybe firing a blaster every now and again," Atton said. "Just to make sure you don't fall out of practice."

[myownface]

"They'd do me a lot more good here than the knives Leto keeps giving me," Sparkle admitted, wrinkling his nose.

More about the idea of using a blaster than about the knives. But he was still going to have to maybe ask Leto about that eventually anyway.

"Gotta get my ass to a range or something so I'm not remembering how blasters work while we're being shot at."