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

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 ]]

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From:

suitably_heroic

"Pretty big," Atton agreed. "Even the little ones are starting to pick arguments with Mical now, which is hilarious."

Sometimes he hated being Force sensitive. Sparkle was giving him vertigo, and not in the fun way.

From:

myownface

"See," Sparkle said, putting on a big grin. "And there's something I need to see. I bet he has no fucking clue what to do with that, either. Little kids have their own sense of logic that only sometimes has anything to do with the real world, and there's no arguing with it."

It was one of many reasons he would fucking kill to protect those kids.

From:

suitably_heroic

"It makes history class a fun watch, I can tell you that much," Atton said, reaching for his glass. "I think I also just tripped and fell into teaching Mira's Padawan."

From:

myownface

"... Huh," Sparkle said, considering that. Tilting his head a little.

Finding himself approving of it. Asida needed direction. Atton didn't have a Padawan and had eeled out of every possible opportunity Mical had seen to try to throw one at him.

It seemed like a good match for them both.

"Yeah? How's she doing?"

Not drawing attention to any of those thoughts. Just casual conversation, really.

From:

suitably_heroic

"Very... angry," Atton said slowly. "That's the main one, there. Very angry. Still in pain. Not a good look on a Jedi."

From:

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.

From:

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."

From:

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."

From:

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."

From:

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.

From:

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."

From:

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.

From:

suitably_heroic

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

From:

myownface

Sparkle hummed a bit.

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

... He was learning.

From:

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.

From:

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."

From:

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."

From:

myownface

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

And a shrug. And a mouthful of beer.

From:

suitably_heroic

Atton snorted.

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

From:

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."

From:

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."

From:

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."

From:

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."