Office #8, Friday

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan had been careful not to move too much into his office, if simply because he had had little idea if he'd be staying for another semester. But his decision on that had now been made, and he could now spend the last day of this semester organizing the few items that had made it in here.

He'd be rifling through paperwork for most of the day, occasionally stopping to make notes for future consideration.

Perhaps he should bring some more light to the room. Add something that could boil water. And move in some instruction manuals for future classes. That would be useful.

[[ open! ]]

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[sith_happened]

Anakin huddled in on himself a bit. "I know."

[saddeserthermit]

Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to touch his shoulder, very, very gently. "I'm sorry."

[sith_happened]

"It was a long time ago," Anakin said. "And she's never visited. It's probably better that way."

[saddeserthermit]

"Did you want her to?" Obi-Wan asked.

[sith_happened]

"Not really," Anakin said. "I can't imagine where I'd even start explaining where I went wrong for her."

[saddeserthermit]

"But explanations aside?" Obi-Wan asked gently.

[sith_happened]

"I think she'd be happy to know about my children," Anakin said quietly. "About Rory."

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan hadn't met nor known Shmi the way Qui-Gon had, let alone Anakin, so he chose to make no particular presumptions. "You've done well with your family," he said, "And I doubt she would be displeased that you were happy."

To the extent that Anakin had managed it, at least.

[sith_happened]

Anakin ran his fingers through his hair. "Not sure it comes close--will ever come close--to balancing the scales."

[saddeserthermit]

"No," Obi-Wan agreed.

He could hardly argue it would.

"But that wasn't the question at hand. I hardly spent my time with Satine discussing my part in the downfall of the Republic."

Just angsting about Maul a little bit and otherwise repressing like a champ.

[sith_happened]

"Well that sounds like a delightful weekend," Anakin said. "Can't imagine why you've been so depressed."

[saddeserthermit]

"I have not been depressed," Obi-Wan said firmly.

...Surly, maybe.

[sith_happened]

"Withdrawn, then," Anakin said. "More so than recently."

[saddeserthermit]

"We didn't talk about that," Obi-Wan said, with a little sigh. "We spoke casually, and of many things. And-- there is a reason you still shut down whenever your mother comes up."

Even if he did know how to draw some words out of Anakin on the topic.

[sith_happened]

Anakin shrugged. "It's not the happiest group of memories."

[saddeserthermit]

"No," Obi-Wan agreed. "But perhaps one you should come to terms with... some day."

[sith_happened]

There was a whole lot of things Anakin was shoving aside to deal with some day.

"Oh, that reminds me," he said. "Every now and then it rains baggage here. I got stuck in my room for the day."

[saddeserthermit]

If Anakin was lucky, those things would continue to drip in every three years or so so he'd have time to process.

"It rains baggage," Obi-Wan said, raising an eyebrow. "That's an interesting non-sequitur."

[sith_happened]

"Well, baggage labeled with your emotional hang-ups," Anakin said, biting the inside of his cheek.

[saddeserthermit]

"How wonderfully invasive," Obi-Wan said, with enough sarcasm to level a house.

[sith_happened]

"It's amazing that the island isn't flattened by the extraneous weights labeled 'daddy issues'," Anakin replied.

[saddeserthermit]

"Daddy issues, specifically?" Obi-Wan said. "Suddenly I'm grateful I was raised in the Temple."

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled wryly. "Yes, and 'Master issues' gets you some weird looks."

[saddeserthermit]

Obi-Wan shook his head. "The things this island comes up with," he said.

[sith_happened]

"It is a never-ending source of frustration," Anakin said, nodding.