Sparkle was going to even attempt to give Atton an elbow to the ribs, here, at least partly because there weren't many times he'd be able to manage it, let alone get away with it.

"I'm serious," he added, sounding more tired than exasperated. "She's good people. There's a real big fucking shortage of those out there and at the very least you owe her an apology."

Maybe it was even that there was a shortage of those out there who had always demonstrated that they had his back, and maybe Sparkle was a bit protective of people like that, and he kind of hated that one of those people was currently (rightfully) irate at one of the other ones who had (understandably) gone and done something stupid.

Ugh, this was complicated.