A Touristy Bar Somewhere In Central Baltimore, Friday Evening-ish

[suitably_heroic]

Yesterday had wound up being a heavy day of drinking and carousing and... a lot of crying. Atton wasn't great with crying people. He'd done his damnedest to be there for the squad, but he'd be lying if he said it hadn't worn on him.

Especially with all their feelings seeping in through the Force.

So he texted Sparkle to meet up with him well over an hour after he'd already gotten to this bar, some tourist trap that was guaranteed not to want any trouble or have any crappy links with anybody who'd want to ruin their day. He needed the time. Ordered some food, had some soda.

Let out a few sighs.

At least this way, he'd feel like a normal person by the time Sparkle showed up. Or as close as he ever got, anyway.

[[ open, mostly for that guy ]]

Comments

[myownface]

"Guess not," Sparkle agreed, after a pause. "... Don't blame her, though. Isn't like anyone else there knows what to do with someone hurting like that."

Almost anyone.

[suitably_heroic]

"Well, trying to attack me like some kind of tiny, angry dog seems to be her thing right now," Atton said, "So I might as well give her the fight she's looking for."

[myownface]

"Makes sense," Sparkle replied. "It's an outlet. I mean, one that doesn't just involve sitting around and thinking really really hard or whatever. Hell, it's productive."

For the both of them.

"And," he added, "it's more than she's had."

[suitably_heroic]

"She can take it out on me for a while until she's ready to join the rest of the Padawans," Atton said lightly, eyeing his drink. "Her form is sloppy."

[myownface]

"Figure that's anger, rust, or she just hasn't gotten that far yet?" Sparkle took a mouthful of beer, thankful for a conversation that wasn't especially horrifying, however you cut it.

Anyway, he worried. About Atton or the Padawans? Yes.

[suitably_heroic]

"Little bit of both," Atton said. He looked contemplative. "Trying to figure out whether some Juyo moves'll be good for her or just make her worse."

[myownface]

"Hmmm," Sparkle replied, nodding a little. "Make her work for 'em? Split the difference, teach her some of the more defensive stuff, and then for every one she passes muster with, throw her some Juyo, maybe?"

Look, he was no Jedi, but Sparkle had some idea of how positive reinforcement worked on angry kids, at the very least.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton snorted softly. "It's not that," he said idly, raising his glass. "Juyo's difficult. And dangerous to most Jedi."

[myownface]

Sparkle hummed a bit.

"That's the one you use, right? The angry one?"

... He was learning.

[suitably_heroic]

"Also known as the Way of the Vornskr or the Ferocity Form," Atton agreed. He took a big swig of his drink. "It's all about channeling pain and anger into something better."

No prize for why Atton had felt drawn to it.

[myownface]

Hmm, if Sparkle had to wager a guess...

He teased at his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment, thinking that over.

"I know," he said slowly, carefully, "that the whole... anger thing... is a complicated relationship, when it comes to Force users. But..." Deep breath. Exhale. Pick out each word carefully. "She's a kid, too. A hurting kid. And just... not feeling shit doesn't work for everyone. She's been bottling and hurting and running in place since she lost Mira, man. Maybe exactly what she needs is a way to vent all of that. And someone who knows how to take it and be better to show her."

[suitably_heroic]

"Yeah, but there's a big leap from 'teaching someone how to deal with that' and 'giving someone a blaster and shoving them towards the bad guys'," Atton said.

He took another sip.

"Teaching her Juyo could be that last one."

[myownface]

"So," Sparkle said reasonably, "start with the first."

And a shrug. And a mouthful of beer.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton snorted.

"Yeah, no, they don't keep me around to do the delicate talking," he said.

[myownface]

Sparkle snorted right back, reaching out to pinch Atton's shoulder, or whatever was closest, really.

"Didn't say that," he pointed out. "Girl doesn't need delicate talking. Girl needs someone to look her in the eye and tell it like it is. Level with her. She's probably sick and fucking tired of delicate by now. It never was how she rolled."

[suitably_heroic]

What was close enough was 'high up enough on his arm to go by shoulder on a technicality'.

Atton pulled a face. "Maybe," he said. "But this better not end in me getting stuck with a Padawan, or I'm shoving you at her in a Jedi tunic and running."

[myownface]

Sparkle was halfway of the opinion that Atton kinda already had a Padawan now, whether he admitted it or not.

He wasn't gonna say as much, or the running would come far sooner.

"I mean, that could be hilarious," he mused. "But you really don't want me teaching Jedi stuff. Ever."

[suitably_heroic]

"You're talking to the guy who spent a chunk of his early years running around as a Sith, killing people," Atton retorted. "Compared to me, you're a shiny example of do... goodiness."

[myownface]

"Yeah," Sparkle replied. And then shrugged. "But it means you already did the stupid shit. You'd know it to see it."

[suitably_heroic]

"Now I really need an actual drink," Atton said, waving over the waiter with a little desperation in said wave.

[myownface]

Sparkle just hummed, smiled crookedly, and took another mouthful of his beer.

"I mean, that said, you're welcome to fling her at me any time, too. My stupid shit isn't Sith stupid shit, but there are bits of it that I get, if you start to get that crawling-out-of-your-skin feeling about it."

[suitably_heroic]

"I've told you a million times, nobody needs me being responsible for impressionable young kids," Atton said. He nodded tersely at the waiter. "Scotch? Whatever you've got."

[myownface]

"She's not that young," Sparkle pointed out. And paused a moment. "And I'd say if Mical's approach isn't working, she's not that impressionable, either. Pretty sure her head's at least half as hard as yours."

The temptation to reach over and knock was strong.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton still pulled another face anyway. "I am not," he said, "Adopting a teenager, all right?"

[myownface]

"Nah," Sparkle agreed. "You already did that once, and see how that turned out?"

He lifted his bottle in a small salute, and then took a swig.

"Nobody's telling you to adopt the kid. Just point her in a direction that isn't disaster. She asks questions you can't answer, tap someone else in. You've got people who'll give it their best, you know. And she's got..."

Well.

She had nobody.