Anakin read the list faster than might seem prudent, but he knew all the parts. And he didn't know whether to laugh or curse. As a child of eight, he did both. His mother wasn't around, so it was fine.
It's been ten years. His desire to point out that he has a name is not particularly strong. "I am. Who are you?" His willingness not to push back against a six year old, on the other hand, had apparently not entirely gone away.
Oh, well, all right then. His smile came back. It was slight but that had nothing to do with Anakin. "Hello, Anakin. I'm Obi-Wan and I am very glad to meet you."
"Sebulba sent you here to humiliate you," Anakin said. He liked all the slaves instantly until they proved to be horrible people. Like, for example, becoming free and then owning slaves themselves.
But Obi-Wan deserved to know some things he wasn't going to learn unless they were through hard knocks or someone told him.
He took that in, tilted his head and then shrugged slightly. "Then I wish him luck." He sounded slightly snide, because he was. The end result of this mess was likely to be unpleasant (to put it mildly) but he was a good deal past the point of having enough pride to be particularly humiliated.
"You've been here for a while." Long enough to know Sebulba, anyway. The intelligence was equally evident, but remarking on that would have been odd.
Edited (sounded not sounds) Date: 2020-02-20 04:22 am (UTC)
"It won't happen. Watto isn't here to yell at you. If he was here, he'd throw you out because Sebulba cost him a lot on the last race-" Anakin grabbed a basket and went to the shelves. "Watto knows to always bet on Sebulba winning the race, but he had a lot bet on who would come in second and third. I couldn't be in it 'cause Watto's racer is still broken, he ordered the part and it has to come all the way from Mos Eisley."
He grabbed a part off the shelf as he was talking and examined it before putting it back and picking up one that looked identical, after looking at this one, Anakin put it in the basket.
"But anyways, Sebulba completely wrecked the racers Watto had bet on to be second and third so they didn't even... well, finish, one of them died." And without a beat he moved on in his explanation. "And Watto was pissed-" Anakin grimaced, it was hard to tell if that was because of deeper reasons than just Watto being mad. "He would have thrown you out and you'd have to go back to Sebulba with nothing, and then he would be mad at you and... well, you know," you know what angry slave masters did to slaves who didn't do their jobs. "But then he'd have to send you back here again anyways because Watto has all the best parts. And it'd start all over again. But I'm here, so it won't happen."
He listened to all of that quietly, taking in ... tone, yes, and expressions, and the story and point of it himself, but also things about gambling and pod-racing, Anakin's owner and his own Master (and if that wasn't a word he had really come to hate in multiple ways at once, there was no such word).
It kept him quiet a little bit past when Anakin stopped talking.
"Won't Watto be mad at you when he realizes you sold things to Sebulba?" Because if that was the case, no thank you, he was not going to scapegoat a child. He still had some morality (he still had a lot, he just didn't always feel like he did).
He took the basket and - Okay, slave child. They were going to be more mature than they should be - or should have to be. He knew that. Both because he'd been a slave teenager, and because of things he'd seen during his brief stint as a Jedi.
It was still a little eerie when backed with that much intelligence.
Anakin thought about it. "I'll show him the sales ticket first, so he'll be happy about that. Then I'll show him who's tab it's from. So it'll be fast. Ya, it'll be fast."
"But..." Anakin stared back, just as obstinate. "They'll just keep using you until one of them gets bored. Or forgets. I would say the next race but that won't happen unless you get these parts."
"Probably," he agreed, "but if I do go back with the parts, he'll just find another excuse. Only now you're in trouble, too. There not being a race may make Watto get over it faster, anyway, if he cares about money and gambling, anyway."
Anakin made a face. "There will still be a race, Sebulba just won't be in it. Which means he'll get madder and madder and more cruel. The only thing that matters around here are the races."
The boys mind was working really fast to find a way to help.
"Maybe... you can go to the other junk shops and buy the parts, they'll be broken for sure, but bring them to me and I'll fix them for you and then you can take them back to Sebulba."
He very much did not want to see Anakin get in 'trouble' for him, but more even than that... He could not stand the thought of quashing this little boy's compassion and desire to help.
He could apply cold logic to this argument - if Sebulba wanted an excuse, he would find one (or more than one), risks of Watto finding out Anakin had still circumvented Sebulba. It would also be telling Anakin to give up, because he had no power at all, not even to help another slave.
He couldn't do it.
"Okay," he agreed. "Where should I take the parts once I get them?"
"My mom and I live in a hut in the slaves' quarters," Anakin said and told the number on the door. "You can bring them there."
And he paused for a second, before running back to his pile of parts he was sorting when Obi-Wan walked in. He picked up a part he had already separated for himself and he brought it over.
"Here, it's on your list. It's not broken. Watto doesn't know it's here yet. He'll never know. It'll be one less thing we have to fix."
Willing to help another slave - absolutely. Willing to lie to his own master - also, absolutely. He had a few choice words he'd never say around his mom about Watto, he didn't care if the man lost money.
Obi-Wan had long since realized that some ruthlessness and anger were pretty much necessary to survive being a slave - literally survive in many cases, hold onto any sense of self in nearly all.
People who managed to avoid it amazed him, and he admired them, but he wasn't convinced that they were real, either - in the sense that they weren't lying to themselves.
He took the part and looked it over. He had no idea what that thing was, but. "Thank you. I'll get things together from other shops and bring them when I have them."
Obi-Wan left, and Anakin was alone again the shop. He paid more attention to the door this time as he waited for Watto to come back. He still looked over the pile and sorted it for inventory. He found another part he could use for C-3PO. And he hid it in the shop before getting to the stack for inventory.
Eventually Watto came back, he wasn't drunk, which meant he was happier than usual. Seeing the pile ready to be stocked already made him even more genial. He let Anakin go. Anakin knew that he had a long day ahead of him tomorrow stocking shelves, but he didn't care.
He jumped up and ran home.
He banged the door open and shouted. "Mom, is he here? I sent another slave here to get help, is he here?"
It took him some time to find the parts that were on that list, broken or not, and by the time he'd finished he was definitely sunburned and dehydrated, but he'd adjust physically soon enough, and neither was really worth complaining about.
Mostly because explaining himself to Anakin's mother was far, far more awkward for him.
It didn't take him long at all be inside and seated at the table and for him to realize exactly where that 'help people' thing in Anakin had come from.
She opened the door for Anakin with a smile and told Anakin that he was, and for Obi-Wan to appear behind her with a wry, slightly awkward expression. "He did. Hello."
Anakin burst into the small space and instantly filled all of it despite how tiny he actually was. He was just an excited ball of energy, ready to help Obi-Wan. He kissed his mom and then was all focused on fixing parts.
"Mom, did he explain why he needs our help?" And then to be thorough, he turned to Obi-Wan, "Did you explain why you're here? Were you able to get everything on your list?"
He sat down at the table and started looking over the parts Obi-Wan had purchased.
He'd also explained a few other things, too. Which meant apologizing for endangering her kid and that he had tried to mitigate that, but ultimately he didn't quite know how to really accomplish more than he had and apologizing for that, too.
...That was about the point that where Anakin's compassion and desire to help had come from became very clear.
He'd actually had time to spend a little time with Shmi, and had enjoyed it and felt better for having had it, even if they mostly talked about Anakin. It was a sad situation but they were good people. Really good people.
"I got everything too. I need to go back, too, but I wanted to see you again so I could tell you thank you and promise that I'll be back."
"Okay!" Anakin said will sorting parts as if he'd just been given a table full of new toys. And... well, it was a table full of toys for Anakin. They were like puzzles for him to pull apart and put back together. And, the best part, he was helping a fellow slave, not Watto.
"You won't have to wait long. Mom and I will have these fixed in no time."
He's actually not back for a couple of days and when he does turn up he looks a little dazed, but there's nothing visibly wrong with him and he smiles when Anakin opens the door.
Anakin smiles back and reaches for Obi-Wan's hand to lead him inside. He needed no further prompting. Probably not the safest practice, but Anakin had a feeling about Obi-Wan, and his mom had liked him, too. So that was good enough for the child to trust Obi-Wan. Which said something, considering how much experience had taught him there were people you could not trust. Just, he knew Obi-Wan wasn't one of those people.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:03 am (UTC)"You're Sebulba's new slave, aren't you?"
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:05 am (UTC)Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:07 am (UTC)"What's your name?"
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:09 am (UTC)Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:16 am (UTC)But Obi-Wan deserved to know some things he wasn't going to learn unless they were through hard knocks or someone told him.
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:20 am (UTC)"You've been here for a while." Long enough to know Sebulba, anyway. The intelligence was equally evident, but remarking on that would have been odd.
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:36 am (UTC)He grabbed a part off the shelf as he was talking and examined it before putting it back and picking up one that looked identical, after looking at this one, Anakin put it in the basket.
"But anyways, Sebulba completely wrecked the racers Watto had bet on to be second and third so they didn't even... well, finish, one of them died." And without a beat he moved on in his explanation. "And Watto was pissed-" Anakin grimaced, it was hard to tell if that was because of deeper reasons than just Watto being mad. "He would have thrown you out and you'd have to go back to Sebulba with nothing, and then he would be mad at you and... well, you know," you know what angry slave masters did to slaves who didn't do their jobs. "But then he'd have to send you back here again anyways because Watto has all the best parts. And it'd start all over again. But I'm here, so it won't happen."
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:43 am (UTC)It kept him quiet a little bit past when Anakin stopped talking.
"Won't Watto be mad at you when he realizes you sold things to Sebulba?" Because if that was the case, no thank you, he was not going to scapegoat a child. He still had some morality (he still had a lot, he just didn't always feel like he did).
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:51 am (UTC)"Ya, I guess. But he'll get over it fast when he sees how much he's made. Watto really only cares about money. So it'll be okay."
Anakin walked over to Obi-Wan and handed him the basket.
"I need to get a ladder."
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 04:55 am (UTC)It was still a little eerie when backed with that much intelligence.
He took the basket and asked, "How fast is fast?"
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:05 am (UTC)Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:07 am (UTC)His interpretation of 'it' was not as general as 'get over it'.
Not worth it.
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:13 am (UTC)Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:23 am (UTC)Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:29 am (UTC)The boys mind was working really fast to find a way to help.
"Maybe... you can go to the other junk shops and buy the parts, they'll be broken for sure, but bring them to me and I'll fix them for you and then you can take them back to Sebulba."
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:45 am (UTC)He very much did not want to see Anakin get in 'trouble' for him, but more even than that... He could not stand the thought of quashing this little boy's compassion and desire to help.
He could apply cold logic to this argument - if Sebulba wanted an excuse, he would find one (or more than one), risks of Watto finding out Anakin had still circumvented Sebulba. It would also be telling Anakin to give up, because he had no power at all, not even to help another slave.
He couldn't do it.
"Okay," he agreed. "Where should I take the parts once I get them?"
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 05:54 am (UTC)And he paused for a second, before running back to his pile of parts he was sorting when Obi-Wan walked in. He picked up a part he had already separated for himself and he brought it over.
"Here, it's on your list. It's not broken. Watto doesn't know it's here yet. He'll never know. It'll be one less thing we have to fix."
Willing to help another slave - absolutely. Willing to lie to his own master - also, absolutely. He had a few choice words he'd never say around his mom about Watto, he didn't care if the man lost money.
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 06:01 am (UTC)People who managed to avoid it amazed him, and he admired them, but he wasn't convinced that they were real, either - in the sense that they weren't lying to themselves.
He took the part and looked it over. He had no idea what that thing was, but. "Thank you. I'll get things together from other shops and bring them when I have them."
Re: Bitty Anakin
Date: 2020-02-20 06:09 am (UTC)Eventually Watto came back, he wasn't drunk, which meant he was happier than usual. Seeing the pile ready to be stocked already made him even more genial. He let Anakin go. Anakin knew that he had a long day ahead of him tomorrow stocking shelves, but he didn't care.
He jumped up and ran home.
He banged the door open and shouted. "Mom, is he here? I sent another slave here to get help, is he here?"
no subject
Date: 2020-02-20 03:59 pm (UTC)Mostly because explaining himself to Anakin's mother was far, far more awkward for him.
It didn't take him long at all be inside and seated at the table and for him to realize exactly where that 'help people' thing in Anakin had come from.
She opened the door for Anakin with a smile and told Anakin that he was, and for Obi-Wan to appear behind her with a wry, slightly awkward expression. "He did. Hello."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-21 04:50 am (UTC)"Mom, did he explain why he needs our help?" And then to be thorough, he turned to Obi-Wan, "Did you explain why you're here? Were you able to get everything on your list?"
He sat down at the table and started looking over the parts Obi-Wan had purchased.
no subject
Date: 2020-02-21 02:44 pm (UTC)He'd also explained a few other things, too. Which meant apologizing for endangering her kid and that he had tried to mitigate that, but ultimately he didn't quite know how to really accomplish more than he had and apologizing for that, too.
...That was about the point that where Anakin's compassion and desire to help had come from became very clear.
He'd actually had time to spend a little time with Shmi, and had enjoyed it and felt better for having had it, even if they mostly talked about Anakin. It was a sad situation but they were good people. Really good people.
"I got everything too. I need to go back, too, but I wanted to see you again so I could tell you thank you and promise that I'll be back."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-22 03:11 am (UTC)"You won't have to wait long. Mom and I will have these fixed in no time."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-22 03:25 am (UTC)"Hello, Anakin. May I come in?"
no subject
Date: 2020-02-22 08:59 am (UTC)Anakin smiles back and reaches for Obi-Wan's hand to lead him inside. He needed no further prompting. Probably not the safest practice, but Anakin had a feeling about Obi-Wan, and his mom had liked him, too. So that was good enough for the child to trust Obi-Wan. Which said something, considering how much experience had taught him there were people you could not trust. Just, he knew Obi-Wan wasn't one of those people.
"We finished days ago."
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