milliways_bar | (no subject)

She didn't poke him, but the dress might shock him out of his reverie.

"Hello."

Atton takes one look at her and her dress and curses in a variety of languages.
"Hello, person who quite distinctly resembles Aeryn." He says after a few moments.

"I am Aeryn. Are you alright?"

She said, looking at him with the concern that he may have lost what little presence of mind he had to begin with.

"No, I think you may be mistaken. You're not Aeryn." It's true that Atton's hanging onto sanity by the barest thread, but he's always like that.

"Do I need to describe your naked body in detail before you'll believe me?"

Atton wasn't entirely sure what to say to that.

"Alright, 'Aeryn', it's good to see you. How are you?"

Aeryn was pleased that at least for the moment she had got him to call her by her name. Sometimes it was like shooting at an impenetrable wall.

"A little over-dressed as you may have noticed."

She glanced down at the dress and sitting down, quickly smoothed it out.

"I wanted to apologise, for snapping at you recently. I guess it's hormones left over from the pregnancy."

She wasn't even pregnant anymore, but she could still blame the hormones.

"I did notice," Atton says, eyeing her. "That's how I know you are merely somebody who looks a lot like Aeryn. A twin perhaps." He, evidently, isn't at his most rational right now.

"Snapping at me? Oh, yes, right. That's fine, I don't mind."

"I don't have a twin."

She sighed loudly.

"I would show you the stab wound that proved I was myself, but I'm afraid there are rules against nudity in the bar."

She was sure showing off her chest would not be allowed.

"How very convenient." Atton mutters darkly.

She leaned forward, took his face in her palms and kissed him passionately, before sitting back with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Now do you believe me?"

Atton for a moment looks slightly suspicious.
"Of course you're Aeryn. I knew that." He says, somewhat sleepily.

"Now tell me what's wrong. If you can't even tell who your own.."

She snorted slightly at the word.

"girlfriend is, there's obviously something wrong."

She lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Is it the dreams?"

"I'm just a bit tired, that's all," Atton grumbles irritably. "You're overreacting. You're like a sort of strange overreacting monster created in a laboratory to overreact at people."

"And you are just insulting me for the fun of it?"

Grumbling indicated stress.

"You should do something fun, it will cheer you up."

"Like what?" Atton asks, rubbing his forehead slightly.

"Fun isn't what I'm good at."

She tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Blowing things up, great. Fun, I'm hard-pressed. Singing, dancing, target practice?"

"I can't sing, I can't dance and I'm too tired to shoot." The last one probably isn't true, but Atton feels like sitting around and being tired instead of having fun, so he's quite deliberately finding something wrong with it.

"Well, I would suggest something else, but you seem tired."

She crossed her legs.

"Why don't you get some sleep? Maybe the nightmares won't come this time..."

She felt so helpless.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Atton says, as reassuringly as he can. "I am like a very fine thing that was fine on a particularly fine day. I am fine."

"I want to help."

She looked at him, willing him to stop lying, pretending and wheedling his way out of the conversation.

"But I don't know how."

"Then don't. I'll be alright, eventually. I always am." Atton leans back, closing his eyes, though not going to sleep.

"You don't always have to deal with everything on your own. I know I can't."

She took his hand, without waiting for permission.

"It took me an age to learn it, but no-one can."

Atton would be glaring if his eyes were open.
"This is only a minor thing, I'll be fine." He says sleepily, though no more than he was earlier in the conversation.

She dropped his hand. She wasn't going to be fooled by closed eyes.

"I thought we were together?"

She raised her eyebrows questioningly. An angry sort of heat came off her.

"We are. But there's nothing either of us can do so why waste your time with it?" Atton growls.

"Maybe it's talking to you that's a waste of my time."

She snarled back.

"Maybe when I'm having trouble, you'll just consider it a waste of your time."

"When you're having trouble I'll do everything I can to help you and it will be worth every moment," Atton snarls. "But you can't do anything about this. Alright?"

"That doesn't mean that you have to push me out."

She still sounded angry.

"I'm not pushing you out. I'm being a realist." Atton says slowly and carefully, as if explaining to a child or a Sith Lord.

"Well I'm frelling sick of your realism."

She yelled, standing up.

Atton remains silent. He may have nodded off to sleep.

It deflates your anger slightly when the person doesn't respond, which may or may not be why Aeryn sat down.

Of course she did then proceed to bang her head off the table, several million times.

The sound makes Atton stir slightly, but he remains otherwise silent.

Which is why she is still hitting her head off the table. The desire to bash her own brains in, comes on at the most innapropriate times.

She's not really worried about waking Atton up. He probably wouldn't like having a nightmare in the middle of the bar.

Atton opens one eye groggily.
"Hm? You'll give yourself concussion if you continue like that."

"It's better than the alternative."

She said, stopping and leaving her forehead on the table.

Atton, if he were thinking clearly, might have questioned this, as it is he just nods.
"Oh, alright then. Don't hurt yourself too badly." With that, he goes back to sleep.

There is only one person I would like to hurt.

When Aeryn gets mad, she doesn't think clearly, which is probably how Atton ended up with a stinging slap across the face.

Atton's eyes open slowly and he reaches up to rub his cheek in disbelief.
"Aeryn, did you just slap me?" He sounds rather shocked and just the tiniest bit angry.

Parnasse who was sitting not to distant watching curiously, just had his suspicions verified. This must be the one she was involved with. What a coincidence.

He saunters over cheekily and nods to Atton. "Aeryn, monsieur, good to see the both of you. And in one convenient location." He smirks. "It looks like I'm missing out on a good time here." He chuckles. "And monsieur, I pity you. This woman has a hell of a bite."

Then to Aeryn. "Madame, would you be interested in a walk? I can give you my assurance, just this once, that no harm will come to you. I am in a generous mood." And still rather freaked out about last night. Thus it does sound sincere.

Aeryn blinked at the interruption, but was nevertheless grateful for an excuse to get away.

"A walk, sounds like it could be just what I need."

She smiled at him sincerely, not quite agreeing because she wanted to go with him.

Atton just stares. Perhaps another time he would have been quicker to say something, but as it is he just seems incapable of making any noise other than vague protesting sounds that may or may nor be the beginning of words.

He smiles again.

"Well then, Madame, if we are agreed, and if Monsieur here, has nothing further to add," He smirks again at this. "Allons-y!" And he offers an arm to lead her to the door.

She takes the proffered arm and with a smug, but not all believable, grin follows Montparnasse.