The Beach, Saturday Night

[suitably_heroic]

This weekend felt weird. There was something about it digging into his head - the notion of everyone's lives going on, maybe, while he stood around and pretended like being a teacher and a Force user came down to much the same. Then again, did the why really matter? His brain had vomited out one terrible emotional state after the other since he embraced the Force and promptly lost his anchor.

Ugh, the whining. The moping. Atton needed to stop it - and it wasn't going to happen in a glitter-covered school gym where his friends were either A) preoccupied with new significant others, B) preoccupied with old significant others, or C) dogs.

That last one went for Cade, too.

So he'd gone for a walk at the earliest possible time he could escape the dance, and now he was here. The beach. Mope Alley. Space, he didn't even get why people came here. It was cold, and wet, and covered in sand, and the most cathartic thing he could think to do was kick this pebble over there into the ocean.

"This is stupid," he muttered.

Kick, went another pebble.

"You know, you could've at least used some kind of stupid Jedi trick to drop off a message about what I'm supposed to do right now." Beat. "Or leave me a note. Or something."

That last pebble went soaring with particular malice.

Why the hell was he here, anyway? An empty Enclave on Dantooine wasn't much better, but at least if Mira dropped by, well, she had this talent for keeping him out of his own head that did everyone a favor.

... maybe he just needed to get off the beach. It was making him even mopier.

[[ open, if you want to deal with Mr. Happy. ]]

Comments

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

Well, it wasn't quite the same thing, but Jessica had newly short red hair, a jacket, and a smart mouth. And she happened to be here after leaving the dance. "Hey, Mister Mopey. How's the moping going for you?"

[suitably_heroic]

You know, somehow it hadn't actually occurred to Atton there'd be anyone but the squirrels watching his kind of pathetic attempt at a beach brood.

So instead of denying the moping immediately, he blinked, his head veering up. "Jessica?"

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"You still recognize me even though I've changed," Jessica said. "How sweet."

[suitably_heroic]

Hey, there were only two women he knew who'd talk to him in that tone of voice and Jessica wasn't exactly radiating Force sensitive at him. "Yeah, well," Atton muttered, trying to recover. "I'm not moping. I'm going for a stroll."

For a formerly professional liar, sometimes he was a crappy liar.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"You can multitask," Jessica said. "So what are you totally not moping about tonight?"

[suitably_heroic]

"I'm not a big Homecoming person," Atton said vaguely. "Plus I'm not allowed to get drunk at school functions."

He had no intention of getting drunk, at the school function or elsewhere. If he was, he wouldn't be at the beach.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I feel you on the first part," Jessica said. "That's why I left a little early. Unfortunately I didn't think to fill up a flask of spiked, glittery punch. I could've shared."

[suitably_heroic]

"Eh, I'm not sure the glitter is safe for consumption anyway," Atton said. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "So what made you escape our glitzy get-together?"

She'd sort of said, but he was pretty desperate to get the focus off him.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Homecoming our junior year was kind of traumatic for me. Someone I was really close to back home died that night and I didn't find out until later because I was having fun," Jessica said. "So it's never been my favorite dance."

[suitably_heroic]

"Ouch," Atton said. "Yeah, I can see that."

It was actually pretty close to his real reason for being out here - that seeing everyone together like that was making him think about a certain person who'd bailed on him and then wound up dead - but he wasn't so sure he felt like sharing that one just yet.

"Well, you're in luck. Absolutely no fun to be had out here tonight."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Oh come on. You and me, former roomies, Lawful Good and Chaotic Whatever. What could be more fun than us on a dark and quiet beach?" Jessica asked. "Besides actual fun things."

[suitably_heroic]

"Chaotic Good these days. Theoretically," Atton offered. "Mical keeps trying to shove me at that one, anyway." He looked down at the beach. "Hey, you can join me in my pebble-kicking competition."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"The competition would be completely unfair if I were wearing heels," Jessica said before launching a pebble. "Of course, now it's unfair in the other direction since I have super strength."

[suitably_heroic]

"Nah, now it's fair," Atton said, picking up a pebble and using the Force to lift it above his palm.

It was a little wobbly. His fine control wasn't perfect. But he only needed a couple of seconds to launch it across the water, anyway.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Not bad," Jessica said. "But I have one more trick."

She picked up a pebble in one hand and touched her thumb and index finger together on the other to make a web slingshot. She loaded the pebble, pulled back far, and sent it flying. Atton's Force throw probably went farther, but her slingshot was grosser.

[suitably_heroic]

"Oh, eugh," Atton said, not unappreciatively. "Now that's some party trick."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it's one of the things that makes me a special girl," Jessica said. "It's a trick that works way better with big rocks or manhole covers or something larger scale."

[suitably_heroic]

"Get a little more traction, put a little more weight behind it," Atton agreed. "I mean, you still lost this one, but I appreciate that trick. Don't ever use it on me."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"That's more up to the individual person," Jessica offered. "If they don't give me a reason to use webs, they won't get webs. Most people I know don't get webs."

[suitably_heroic]

"You ever accidentally fire those in your sleep or something?" Atton asked. "...Just curious."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Did you ever wake up to find the room covered in webs?" Jessica asked. The answer was no.

[suitably_heroic]

"In my defense, I slept in late a lot," Atton said.

That was not strictly true. Or true at all. But he was really good at looking like it?

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"The answer's still no," Jessica said. "It takes conscious thought to use my webs."

[suitably_heroic]

"Good to know," Atton said. "I mean, it's not really any of my business anymore, but at least now I know none of my stuff got accidentally webbed to the inside of the room."

Beat.

"Not that I got to take any of my stuff either way, but y'know."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I'll be honest, I'm not sure what exactly happened to anything you left behind," Jessica said. "I assume the custodial staff eventually got to it. If you want anything back, you might have to talk to them."

[suitably_heroic]

"I think Sparkle took my booze," Atton said meditatively. "At least that found a nice home."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"That seems more accepting than I'd expect from a guy spending his night kicking rocks on the beach," Jessica pointed out.

[suitably_heroic]

"I'm not exactly kicking rocks over the loss of a couple of bottles of whiskey and some shirts," Atton said dryly.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Do you wanna talk about what you are kicking rocks over?" Jessica checked.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton was quiet for a moment. "I don't know if I told you, but somebody I care about died a couple months ago," he said, finally. "Being at that party with Skywalker and his wife, and Sia and her new boyfriend or whatever, and Cade happy with his bottle of booze-- I don't know. Kind of drives it home, I guess."

Beat.

"Actually, let's go back and say it's about the shirts. I miss those shirts."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Do you want a hug to help you deal with those shirts?" Jessica asked.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton actually thought about it for a minute.

"...Only if you don't tell anyone about it."

Shut up.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I'm good at keeping secrets," Jessica said before giving a hug.

[suitably_heroic]

"Thanks," Atton muttered, hugging her back.

For, y'know. The secret keeping.

And the hug.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Any time," Jessica said. "I should get going. You'd be amazed how much work still goes into running a superhero team, even when you're on vacation."

Also, knowing Atton, he might get weird about showing actual human emotion. "But if you ever need to talk about shirts or anything, I'm always up for a chat."

[suitably_heroic]

"Sorry about your shirt," Atton said, though he couldn't say he wasn't relieved she was leaving after that. "Even if it's a couple years late."

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I think I can let you off the hook for that," Jessica said. "Have a good night and take care of yourself, okay?"

[suitably_heroic]

"You too," Atton said.

She got an actual, honest-to-god real smile for at least a fraction of a second there. "Have a good trip home. I like the hair."