InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "r u avoiding me?"

He may be Vader someday later, but now he's (justasmallfry) wrote in makebelievelog,
@ 2013-10-03 18:24:00

Entry tags:

ickle anakin skywalker, obi-wan kenobi

Who: Ani and Obi-Wan
What: Obi-Wan has some things to discuss with Ani
When: Thursday afternoon
Where: There rooms
Rating/Warnings: Probably low – one embarrassed Jedi.
Status: In progress/closed

Ani shut his chemistry textbook with dramatic fashion. He didn’t hate chemistry in the slightest, in fact he usually loved equations, in all their forms – so neat and ordered with definite solutions he could puzzle out, why couldn’t the world be more like that? But he was still a boy of thirteen and there came a point when even his brain needed different stimuli.

Thankfully, that was his last bit of homework.

“I’m done with my homework, Master. Can I go find Helena?”

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

	justasmallfry 2013-10-03 01:03 pm UTC (link)
	Ani nodded, and added, “Yes, I remember.” Still expecting this to go sour in the next moment. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

master_kenobi
2013-10-03 01:17 pm UTC (link)

"Well there is some history there that you're perhaps not aware of." He could still feel Ani's frustration with him and it made him even more nervous and hesitant. He tried to shove it down as he continued. "Many years ago, during a mission, while we were padawans, she and I... became aware that we were harbouring feelings of attachment for each other." He watched Anakin's face carefully, gauging his reaction.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	justasmallfry 2013-10-03 01:28 pm UTC (link)
	“Okay.” Ani’s eyebrows knitting together. This was started to get convoluted – only because he was expecting to be scolded and this was quite the detour from that. What did his Master’s attachments have to do with anything? Well, he might as well ask. “What does this have to do with me doing something wrong?” (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	master_kenobi 2013-10-03 01:30 pm UTC (link)
	Obi-Wan, disturbed from his already difficult task just blinked at his apprentice for a moment. "Nothing. Why would you think that?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	justasmallfry 2013-10-03 01:41 pm UTC (link)
	“Because that’s what you’re doing. You got upset about the- about me just wanting to know how the tower is destroyed,” he sighed. “And now you’re telling me what else I’ve got wrong.” (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

master_kenobi
2013-10-03 01:51 pm UTC (link)

Obi-Wan frowned. "What? I believe you don't wish to destroy the tower, Anakin. I was giving you advice to help you in that regard. Which you weren't interested in hearing, thank you."

He stood restlessly.

"Maybe now isn't a good time for this conversation," he concluded.

He could put it off a little longer, right? This... apparent misunderstanding wasn't conducive to having this conversation. He would tell him. ...Just at a better time. At a time when they weren't already at odds. He should make sure he brings it up when they don't have anything else to discuss. Right. That would foster more of an understanding...

Or was he just considering putting it off because of the clutch of nerves still roiling in his belly?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-03 02:34 pm UTC (link)

“That wasn’t advice. You were scolding me for things I haven’t even done yet, and because I just wanted to learn something and figure it out. And because you thought I wasn’t taking training seriously.”

He wanted to get up himself, he’d sat too long, first doing his homework, now through this, and his agitation was demanding an outlet. Sitting wasn’t that outlet. But he didn’t move before Obi-Wan gave him permission to leave.

“If we’re done, can I go to my room?” This upset, losing himself in something mechanical sounded like the only option to calm him.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

master_kenobi
2013-10-03 02:49 pm UTC (link)

"I wasn't scolding you, Anakin! I just wanted to make sure we were in agreement. Everyone at that party said you two were practically destined to blow up the tower. They said you wouldn't be able to help it. I told them you absolutely could and that you would. I said it wouldn't happen because you take your responsibilities seriously. If defending you to other people isn't a demonstration of trust, then what is? And if we can't discuss something important - to clarify the situation - without you thinking that I'm accusing you of something, then you may go to your room." He smoothed a hand over his beard. "The... other thing I wanted to talk about can wait. It's personal. It's not important."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-03 03:27 pm UTC (link)

Ani felt like he’d been slapped in the face. He jumped his feet, hurt radiating off of him.

He backed away, “If you trust me why did you keep asking why I want to know like I have some hidden plan? I was being honest the first time. But ya, I’m just imagining that whole conversation just happened.”

Hurt quickly changed to anger. He shook his head and then retreated to his room. It took him a moment to approach the project in the corner, he had an intense urge to throw or kick something, but he didn’t want to break what he was currently working on. To his credit, it was an exercise in controlling his emotions. At least he’d managed that much. When he wasn’t seeing red spots anymore he went to lose himself in his current project until he was requested to stop.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

master_kenobi
2013-10-03 03:43 pm UTC (link)

Obi-Wan didn't follow him. He sank back into his chair, running the whole situation back through his mind to try and find where he'd gone so horribly wrong.

He wanted to go to Siri, but he didn't think it was wise to leave when Anakin was still radiating such volatile emotions, though they seemed to be starting to come under control. The other reason, of course, was that he still hadn't explained that little situation to the boy. He should have started that way. Maybe by the time that storm blew over, the Tower wouldn't even seem worth addressing and at least he could seek refuge next door.

So instead he leaned his head back and closed his eyes and looked for her in the Force, locating her warm presence. Her words, sent through the Force only for him on the rooftop floated back into his consciousness. It's okay, Obi-Wan...

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-03 08:41 pm UTC (link)

Ani wasn’t sure how long he’d been left in his room, he didn’t count the minutes or hours while he worked. Eventually he sat back on his heels and looked at the device he was creating. His thoughts were centered, his emotions cooled to the point he didn’t think about them.

“I don’t know, Artoo,” he said to his astromech droid. R2 responded with a twittering prod – not encouraging, more like challenging him. Ani smiled, understanding the droid because of his unique ability in the Force. “But you swear- a lot. I don’t know if I should give you the ability to tell people off in Basic.”

He let R2 chatter on while he continued to work comfortably.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	master_kenobi 2013-10-03 08:57 pm UTC (link)
	Obi-Wan balanced the tray on one hand as he knocked softly on Ani's door. His ire had died and he'd been doing...whatever it was he was doing for several hours. He had to be hungry. Obi-Wan brought him a bowl of soup, a chunk of bread and a mug of hot chocolate. The chocolate was by way of apology for whatever it was he'd done to rile the boy so badly. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	justasmallfry 2013-10-03 09:39 pm UTC (link)
	Lost in his work Ani simply stretched out with the Force and opened the door. It was only when he saw Obi-Wan that he remembered himself. His smile for R2 froze and he stood up, looking contrite. “Sorry,” he bit the inside of cheek. “I know I’m not supposed to use the Force for frivolous things.” (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	master_kenobi 2013-10-03 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	Obi-Wan was so preoccupied with how he was going to broach his difficult subject again, he barely noticed. "What?" Then he glanced at the door. "Oh." He shook his head and put the tray down on Anakin's end table. "I thought you might want something to eat." He could just leave the tray and go... Now might not be any better a time than a few hours ago. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-03 10:33 pm UTC (link)

“Oh.” Ani looked to the tray and suddenly realized he was hungry. He didn’t usually forget about food. The feeling of hunger was one of his least favorite sensations. It reminded him of Tatooine. But sometimes he could get so wrapped up in his projects, especially when he was working through emotions, that, without thinking to do so, he pushed aside needs like eating, sometimes sleeping, just to reach the end of project goals or until his emotions had been work out.

He watched Obi-Wan, knew there was a tangible contention lingering between them, but he didn’t know how to dissipate it any more than his Master did.

“Thank you.” He knew the least he could do was to show appreciation for this. He approached the tray of food. “I am hungry.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

master_kenobi
2013-10-03 10:49 pm UTC (link)

"You're welcome." Part of him wanted to spit it out to get it over with and part of him hoped he didn't have to talk about it at all. He spotted whatever it was Ani was working on.

"What's that?" he asked, partly out of genuine curiosity and partly to change a subject Anakin didn't even know they were on. He hoped it sounded like he wanted to know and not like he was suspicious.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-03 11:13 pm UTC (link)

Ani sat down on his bed and picked up the bread. He was breaking off pieces to eat.

He wasn’t at all put out by the question of his project. At least he didn’t think this was something that would get him in trouble, so he proceeded to explain it without hesitation. In fact, he was happy to have something to talk about that wasn’t a touchy subject.

“Oh, well. Artoo can only really talk to me and my older self cuz of what we can do with the Force. Oh, and Ahsoka’s astromech droid but he really doesn’t like Goldie, at all.” To accentuate the boy’s point R2 let loose a string of beeps that sounded condemning of the other droid. Ani narrowed his eyes at the droid, but didn’t feel he should translate. “So I thought I’d make him a Binary to Basic translator module by taking the design of the Basic to Binary module he already has and reversing it, so he could talk to other people.” He cast another disproving glance at the droid. “But he, uh, swears a lot, and says a lot of insults… so… I donno if I should do it.”

R2 took great offense to this and proceeded to prove Ani’s point with some more offensive twitters – well, they would be offensive if the droid had a Binary to Basic translator.

“I guess what he really needs is droid companions. But, uh,” Ani looked down, embarrassed by his own inadequacies, he felt like he was letting R2 down. “Creating, building, and programing an AI complete from scratch is beyond what I know how to do right now.” He could take parts, fix them, and then fit them together, but the whole project straight from the beginning was overwhelmingly difficult.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	master_kenobi 2013-10-03 11:21 pm UTC (link)
	Obi-Wan frowned in confusion. "Master Qui-Gon said you built a droid on Tatooine for your mother." He hoped that wasn't a touchy subject. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-03 11:45 pm UTC (link)

Ani remained blissfully unaware of what happened to his mother – no one had informed him of that particular detail about the future.

“Oh? Seethreepio?” he said brightly. “I found most of his droid parts scattered around a street in Mos Espa one day. And all I had to do was fix the broken parts, and find the replacement parts in Watto’s shop. Then put him back together. But he’d already come with motivators and AI programming. I didn’t have to write that for him. I did change one part so that he was more talkative, but the base was there for me to work with. Self-actualizing programs are complicated. And so are the motivators that operate them.”

R2 gave a mournful little moan, and it almost seemed as the droid slumped. But that was impossible because he had no moving parts to slump. Ani gave him a quizzical look.

“He says he misses Threepio.” Ani gave Obi-Wan a confused look, then looked back at the droid. “I thought you’d only met the one time?” But R2 backed up and then maneuvered out of the room instead of answering. “Weird.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	master_kenobi 2013-10-04 12:01 am UTC (link)
	He watched the droid take off out of the room. "Ah. Well. Perhaps your studies will advance you to that level in time." He slid his hands into his pockets. "Or you can look for some books." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-04 12:22 am UTC (link)

“Ya.” But then an awkward silence descended on them. Even Ani could tell that topic had exhausted itself.

He swallowed a few spoonfuls of soup, waiting for his Master to, well, do something or say something. But then nothing happened.

“Master?” Ani broke the silence at last. “Did, uh, you… have something else to say?” Or was his Master here to just watch him eat? Which Ani would definitely say was weird.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	master_kenobi 2013-10-04 12:47 am UTC (link)
	"Oh. Well, yes. I mean...there was something else I wanted to talk to you about but, like I said, it's...it's not really important. I'm not even sure you'll be interested, to be honest..." He probably wouldn't be. He'd probably be bored if he wasn't appalled. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	justasmallfry 2013-10-04 12:52 am UTC (link)
	Ani thought this was better than his Master watching him eat, but still a bit of a weird answer. “Oh… Uh. Do you want to tell me?” (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

master_kenobi
2013-10-04 08:11 am UTC (link)

No. No, he really didn't. "I think I should."

Maybe when he finished eating.

No. He should do it now.

He looked like he was going to turn towards the door, then turned past it and moved to a chair instead. It was unsettling looming over the child.

Sitting, he took a breath, then looked at Anakin. "I was telling you something earlier. Do I need to start again?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

justasmallfry
2013-10-04 08:32 am UTC (link)

Worry washed over the boy then. He set the bread down and trained his eyes on his food but he didn’t touch any more of it.

“Are we going to talk about the Tower again?” he asked quietly. As that was what came first to mind, the other subject was buried under emotions and misunderstanding. He was trying his hardest to remain calm, this time he had every intention of doing just that this time.