"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.
He was more than happy to let Anakin lead him inside, though he sat down on the floor rather than a chair once they were firmly in. "I'm sorry. Sebulba's been a little cranky. I'm sure he'll be in a better mood now though I'm surprised you got those parts finished that quickly." Impressed more like it. "Thank you."
"It's why Watto tricked Gardula into losing me and mom in a bet," Anakin said. "I can fix anything." A grand claim for an eight year old, and almost entirely true. Somethings were beyond repair. And somethings were still a bit too complicated and dangerous for him yet. But these parts, and most of the parts people came to Watto's shop for were no difficulty for Anakin.
He jumped down from the chair and went to Obi-Wan, because they had chairs.
"Why are you sitting on the ground? It's easier to see the parts at the table."
"I just really like sitting on the ground. It's more comfortable." In general, thanks to all those early years with the Jedi, and at the moment in particular for reasons. "And you can't fall off the ground. I don't know much about most of the parts, anyway, so why don't you show me the ones you're most proud of down here and tell me about your last couple of days?"
Anakin tipped his head to the side at that answer. He was only vaguely aware that maybe he was missing something, but not experienced enough to understand.
"Well... okay," Anakin said, going back to the table. He started bringing over parts.
"The part for Watto's pod-racer came in. And I got to work on that the last few days. I think his pod-racer is going to be better than ever."
"You're hoping you actually finish the race?" What the hell? This was not good. In fact this was terrible even if Anakin seemed completely content about it.
"Ya," Anakin said. He paused and frowned and grew introspective, though his answer probably did nothing to ease any sane adult's mind.
"I've never finished a race yet." As if that wasn't some inhuman experience Watto forced on him every few months. "Sebulba always manages to knock me out of the competition. But," he brightened, for all the wrong reasons, "I get better each race! One day I'm gonna not only finish, I'm gonna win!"
He really wanted to protest the inhuman experience pressed on an 8 year old, especially when people died doing this, but he wasn't going to.
Because he couldn't stop it, anyway.
He did however narrow his eyes slightly because.
There were things he could do and... probably would.
God he was never going to have skin on his back again. If Sebulba figured anything out and that - well he had ways. He had been trained by Jedi for a while.
"Yes," he said, with a smile that was only a little strained. "I am sure you are."
Anakin studied Obi-Wan for a moment. Clearly he was trying to work something out. But it wasn't trying to find the hidden meaning of Obi-Wan's agreement. No, Anakin was too guileless still for that.
He was deciding how much he trusted Obi-Wan.
And he decided that for whatever reason, he didn't question it, he trusted the man implicitly. Anakin was good about listening to his instincts.
But he still lowered his voice.
"I'm making my own pod-racer," he said. "Watto doesn't know. But when it's ready, I'm gonna win a race and win mom and my's freedom. Cuz it'll be my pod-racer and Watto won't be able to claim the prize."
He had so many things he wanted to say there, but he didn't say any of them. He just rested his forearms on his bent legs and leaned forward a bit, studied a part and then looked back up at Anakin once he was more sure he could keep his outward mood steady.
For the first time in the conversation, Anakin is stumped. But he sat, ankles tucked under him, frown on his face, trying to work it out.
"Well..."
He knew he hated Tatooine. His first memory of the place upon arrival was of watching a slave, also newly arrived, try to run away, and the slave master activating the slave chip and the man blowing up.
But there were too many people in his and his mom, and Obi-Wan's position for him to want to abandon everyone.
"I guess... I've always wanted to make something that can find and deactivate the slave chips so I can help everyone else. They don't ever show us slaves that device and I don't remember when mine was put in so I can't make it from memory. But when I buy mom and my's freedom, then I'll see it, and then I can figure it out."
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timeasmymeasure
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."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-22 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-02-22 11:24 pm (UTC)He jumped down from the chair and went to Obi-Wan, because they had chairs.
"Why are you sitting on the ground? It's easier to see the parts at the table."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-23 05:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-02-23 11:23 pm (UTC)"Well... okay," Anakin said, going back to the table. He started bringing over parts.
"The part for Watto's pod-racer came in. And I got to work on that the last few days. I think his pod-racer is going to be better than ever."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-24 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 03:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 03:55 am (UTC)"I've never finished a race yet." As if that wasn't some inhuman experience Watto forced on him every few months. "Sebulba always manages to knock me out of the competition. But," he brightened, for all the wrong reasons, "I get better each race! One day I'm gonna not only finish, I'm gonna win!"
no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 04:04 am (UTC)Because he couldn't stop it, anyway.
He did however narrow his eyes slightly because.
There were things he could do and... probably would.
God he was never going to have skin on his back again. If Sebulba figured anything out and that - well he had ways. He had been trained by Jedi for a while.
"Yes," he said, with a smile that was only a little strained. "I am sure you are."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 04:13 am (UTC)He was deciding how much he trusted Obi-Wan.
And he decided that for whatever reason, he didn't question it, he trusted the man implicitly. Anakin was good about listening to his instincts.
But he still lowered his voice.
"I'm making my own pod-racer," he said. "Watto doesn't know. But when it's ready, I'm gonna win a race and win mom and my's freedom. Cuz it'll be my pod-racer and Watto won't be able to claim the prize."
no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 04:15 am (UTC)He had so many things he wanted to say there, but he didn't say any of them. He just rested his forearms on his bent legs and leaned forward a bit, studied a part and then looked back up at Anakin once he was more sure he could keep his outward mood steady.
"Oh yeah? What comes after that?"
no subject
Date: 2020-02-25 04:25 am (UTC)"Well..."
He knew he hated Tatooine. His first memory of the place upon arrival was of watching a slave, also newly arrived, try to run away, and the slave master activating the slave chip and the man blowing up.
But there were too many people in his and his mom, and Obi-Wan's position for him to want to abandon everyone.
"I guess... I've always wanted to make something that can find and deactivate the slave chips so I can help everyone else. They don't ever show us slaves that device and I don't remember when mine was put in so I can't make it from memory. But when I buy mom and my's freedom, then I'll see it, and then I can figure it out."
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