Caritas, Sunday

[suitably_heroic]

Okay. Atton could do this. There were just six days of August left, and he was fine, and if he could just keep going on without checking the date for another week, he'd be. In the clear. From something.

"Did you have to put 'END OF AUGUST SUMMER SALE'--" Yeah, you could hear the capitals, "--up on the board, Tino?"

Don't mind the strained tone in his voice. "We're a bar. We don't even do 'sales', you absolute, ignorant, ass-backwards, nerf-herding--"

Who knew Atton knew that many Earth swears? On the bright side, cursing out Tino was probably a better way for him to spend his Caritas shift than plastered to the floor in the bathroom or somewhere.

Caritas was... open, and full of strained repression.

[[ open ]]

Comments

[notconflicted]

Please pardon the accidental selfie of a very close up shot of fur and one blue eye headed straight for Arron's phone.

It was followed about thirty seconds later by a text of Sorry about that. Vitor says hello, apparently.

The perils of your name being at the top of someone's contacts.

[suitably_heroic]

WHY DOES THAT DOG LIKE TO TEXT ME THIS MUCH????

Atton was fine! He was fine.

[notconflicted]

Sia frowned at her phone.

Has he done it more than the once before?

[suitably_heroic]

... Maybe back when we weren't speaking.

[notconflicted]

Apparently he missed you.

She was going to have to go through their text history now.

[suitably_heroic]

I don't know why. He's smelly and furry and I don't like him.

Okay, okay, fine. He tolerated Vitor just fine.

[notconflicted]

Maybe he knows you're why I have him, she pointed out. Bad day?

[suitably_heroic]

Me and August just aren't on speaking terms. It's fine.

[notconflicted]

Do you want to talk about it, or do you want literally anything else as a distraction?

It was at least worth presenting the first option.

[suitably_heroic]

Literally anything else? It's not like I can change the month. I mean, I'm working on it, but I haven't gotten there yet.

[notconflicted]

That really was more honest than she thought he'd be.

So he was getting a picture of the lake she was currently looking out on. All right- state visits are boring but the view is good.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton was beginning to learn that being honest sometimes got him better results with Sia. Go figure.

What planet are you on?

[notconflicted]

Chandrila. I'm almost tempted to tack on a few extra days fit one of those breaks I keep talking about.

[suitably_heroic]

Huh. Never been. So it really is as nice as they say? You don't often get that.

[notconflicted]

I haven't been disappointed so far. You're of course welcome to come out here if you can spare the time.

She didn't think he would, but if he needed a distraction, she could at least put it out there.

[suitably_heroic]

I'll need pictures first. Just to make sure this place isn't secretly a deathtrap waiting to happen.

[notconflicted]

In response he got a few pictures from earlier, of the lane area around sunset, because not even Sia would pass up taking pictures of something that pretty.

Or did you want more specific proof?

[suitably_heroic]

... Okay, that is pretty.

Dammit.

Reminds me a little of Alderaan, in a weird way.

[notconflicted]

Even if you don't come out here, I can get more pictures tomorrow, she offered.

[suitably_heroic]

Don't tell anyone I said that, but I'd like that, Atton texted. Especially if you're enjoying yourself.

Ugh, he was getting sappy in his old age.

[notconflicted]

Sia didn't hate it.

Don't worry, no one would ever believe me. I'll send them.

[suitably_heroic]

Now that's a load off my mind. Can't let people think I'm going soft over scenery or anything.

Pause.

Take the break, Si.

[notconflicted]

I think I will. For once.

Her dog was already here, after all.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton hesitated over the next one.

Can't make it this week. But hey, maybe you can try all the tourist traps, pick the ones that aren't terrible for whenever I do make it out there.

[notconflicted]

And here I'd been planning to be lazy.

Sia was a damn liar, she was not capable.

[suitably_heroic]

Like you even know how.

[notconflicted]

I've tried it once or twice.

[suitably_heroic]

Tried being the operative word!

[notconflicted]

Exactly. An effort was made. This is a third attempt.

[suitably_heroic]

Let me know how it goes, Atton texted. I still have the numbers of some of your minions. Don't think I'm not going to get my eyes on the ground.

[notconflicted]

I would hope my own people wouldn't tattle.

They would. There was a reason Sia trusted like two people out here.

And what happens if the third attempt doesn't take?

[suitably_heroic]

I'll have to come over there and physically stop you from working for several days?

A brief pause, followed by.

Not dirty.

[notconflicted]

Sia actually laughed.

You realize that's not an incentive to vacation very hard.

[suitably_heroic]

You say that now, but you've met me, right?

[notconflicted]

And yet.

[suitably_heroic]

I think there's something wrong with you and you need to be checked out by a medic of some kind.

[notconflicted]

I knew that back when we couldn't have a conversation without arguing.

And still kept having conversations.