fandomtownies | Park After Dark

Obi-Wan lets them walk quietly for a few minutes, to see if Anakin is willing to talk about what upset him without prompting.

Anakin wandered over to the duck pond and took a seat on the bench. He really, really, really didn't want to talk about this, but...

"I wasn't expecting to have to deal with problems like slavery on this world, Master." His eyes gazed into the distance. "Not as part of a school project where it isn't addressed as one of the greatest plights on a civilization."

Obi-Wan sat down next to him -- sometimes difficult conversations came easier without eye contact.

"This wasn't for one of your classes, is that right? How much do you know about the project?"

Anakin shook his head. "Not one of my classes, no." He spent a long moment contemplating the tuft of grass at his feet. "And I don't really know much about the project other than what I've learned from other students, and you've taught me well enough that I don't trust rumors as fact."

He barked out an entirely humorless laugh. "And it's not exactly like our government is blameless on this issue, either."

He went back to staring at the ground. "But it wasn't something I was expecting to see at dinner."

Obi-Wan shifted a little uncomfortably. "No, we aren't blameless," he murmured.

"All rumors being equal -- perhaps equally untrue -- it feels a distressingly blithe approach to a great violation. But, as you say, we do not have all the facts."

He strokes his beard, treading carefully. "Perhaps one good result of this evening's disturbance -- aside from a delicious meal to be enjoyed under the stars -- is the excellent example it provides of needing to learn control of your emotions?"

Anakin brightened at the reminder of food. He pawed through the containers next to him until he found a plastic fork and his slice of cake.

Eating also gave him an excuse not to answer Obi-Wan for a while. Especially when Obi-Wan had a point.

He hated when that happened.

"You're right, Master," he finally admitted, refusing to meet Obi-Wan's eyes. "It is always good to be reminded of shortcomings."

He really, really hated it when Obi-Wan was right.

That wasn't exactly what Obi-Wan was looking for. (Though he also paused to pull out his slice of pie.)

"Think, Padawan," he snapped. "I don't tell you these things in order for you to berate yourself and wallow in being wrong yet again - or whatever it is you tell yourself."

Anakin glared back at Obi-Wan. "Fine." He stuck his lower lip out.

"Whatever. It's not like I can live up to the great all-knowing Obi-Wan Kenobi's ridiculous expectations anyway."

"This is not about my expectations or my supposed knowledge -- it's about your complete inability to absorb any sort of experiential learning through that thick skull of yours. I'm trying to get you to understand, boy."

"Experimental learning? Thick skull?" Anakin's voice rose into a whiny screech. "I suppose it's a wonder I've managed not to wander into traffic without your guidance while I've been here."

He crossed his arms over his chest and ~~sulked~~ brooded.

"No, you don't wander, you leap -- and having luckily made it out without more than a few scratches, you never stop to wonder, the next time you come to traffic, if maybe you shouldn't try it a bit differently."

"And you focus on the worst possible things -- that the T14 speeder that almost ran you over is hopelessly out of date and a wretched color orange, and, oh look, he almost hit someone else on the road -- instead of on the point, which is that you stepped in front of the speeder because you were too busy being stubborn to look where you were going!"

Obi-Wan stops mid-rant and looks slightly puzzled for a moment. "And the fact that I dragged out this ridiculous metaphor that far only proves my point."

Anakin stared at Obi-Wan, slack-jawed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he finally shouted, standing up. "This is why I never learn anything from you, Master. Your lessons are always wrapped up in metaphor and stories that make no sense, and-- and-- and-- orange is a wretched color for a speeder and I defy you to tell me otherwise." He threw the last of his cake into the pond, and turned back to Obi-Wan, eyes blazing. "If I've learned anything, it's been despite your teachings rather than because of them."

Obi-Wan's not really sure how it came to this - how their pleasant and friendly evening so quickly came to anger. Every time their conversations turned so quickly, in the months before he sent Anakin to FandomHigh, every time he could never figure out just what had gone wrong -- what he hadn't said, what he shouldn't have said. It hurt him deeply, and perhaps even scared him a little.

"Despite. Yes, despite my teaching you go off on a rage-fueled Dark Side spree, and despite my teaching you manage to restore yourself and are concerned enough to send word to your most pathetic Master. Despite my teaching you work at maintaining your balance, you seek to make friends and learn the ways of other cultures. And despite my teaching you nearly go off the rails again, all because you are surprised. Clearly my teaching has been poor, indeed."

Anakin stood there and listened to Obi-Wan's words, an anger he couldn't control racing through his veins. How did Obi-Wan manage to find every. single. button to push?

The ever-reasonable tone of voice was the last straw. That Obi-Wan was talking about the good things Anakin had done since coming to this world was irrelevant.

Anakin spun on his heel and began to stalk off.

If you let him walk away in anger, you will lose him forever.

Obi-Wan thinks back to one of the few times he and Qui-Gon had ever really and truly fought, yelling and shouting. He, like Anakin, had been angry beyond all reason, ready to storm off, take his lightsaber and hop the first freight crawler out-of-system.

Anakin's long strides were quickly carrying him away.
"Forgive me, Anakin," he murmured, "but you are still my padawan, and I will never stop trying to teach you until the day I die."

"Even this is still part of your training, padawan," Obi-Wan called out loudly. "And your teacher thinks you need to cool off." He reached out with the Force, stretching his hand at Anakin's retreating back, and gave a strong, sharp tug.

Anakin heard "...cool off" and then found himself flying through the air.

And then completely soaked.

In the pond, the ducks quacked with annoyance.

Anakin stood up and slogged his way towards the shore.

His hair was completely drenched. Water streamed off of his robes. There was only one thing to do.

His threw back his head and laughed until he cried.

Indescribable relief filled Obi-Wan. Thank you, Master, for pulling that trick on another hard-headed young idiot not so long ago.

He smiled as Anakin began to laugh, and when that laughter proved infectious, plopped down on the ground next to his padawan, threw his arm around him, and laughed until his sides ached.

Anakin leaned into the comforting warmth of Obi-Wan and sighed. His anger had melted away as soon as he had hit the water.

Hopefully this wasn't the only way to cool off his temper. And speaking of cool...he began to shiver.

Jedi robes were cold when they were wet.

Obi-Wan feels Anakin shiver against his side. "Damn, I didn't think of that."

[OOC: *snort* Yeah, right.]

He pulled off his outer cloak and wrapped it tightly around Anakin. "Come on, we'd better get you someplace you can change out of those wet robes. Or else what will they say about the Jedi who gets his own padawan killed?" He kept one arm snug around Anakin as they stood, reluctant to let go now that their anger had passed.

Obi-Wan looked around the park. "You'll have to point me in the right direction."

Anakin pointed in a generally east-type direction. "That way to the hotel," he said, shivering ~~for effect.~~.

Park After Dark

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