Had Obi-Wan missed the part of the conversation where Anakin excitedly talked about risking his life on a regular basis? Scared into 'careful' was not a concept easily applied to the child.
But he still remained more sober.
"What's the Force?" he asked, "That's what the collar takes away?"
Risking your life was one thing. Risking loss of more liberty when you were already a slave was something else.
"The Force is an energy field that binds everything together. Some people can feel it and use it." He paused and gently lifted the protocol droid Anakin was putting together off the table a few inches before settling it back down. "Being aware of it or using it is what the collar takes away."
He'll get back to the seriousness of what Obi-Wan was showing and telling him, he just needed to get over how awesome this very much was. He didn't have a lot of good in his life, so when it came along, he took hold of it with all his might.
"Maybe." Not everyone could do everything, or was good at everything, but he had to adjust because truthfully what he'd done was far easier than staying alive during one of those races, at least from what he'd heard. "Probably. As long as no one who can stop you finds out."
"That is a horrible idea." On the other hand they were in Anakin's own home and - "Do you have something small and light?" Helping him a little might... help him be less likely to try on his own.
Anakin turned back to the work bench where all his mismatched, patched together tools and spare or discarded parts lay and fished around for something small. He came back with a bolt, a piece of wire, and a small stone that he'd dug out of C-3PO's torso but had forgotten to throw out. He figured options would be good.
He took all three of the objects and weighed them in his hands, turned them over a few times and settled on the bolt. He kept it in his palm and set the other two aside.
"Now, you see if you can 'feel' the bolt - and focus on it. After that you should be able to sort of... push or pull the threads around it." It was hard to practically explain metaphysical stuff, ok?
"Okay," Anakin said, both sure and unsure. He wasn't that he'd never tried to focus more on machines in that way the let him know what to do with them. He just now had an audience. And he'd never tried to move anything before, so that was... different.
He looked at the bolt in Obi-Wan's hand, resisting the urge to grab it. Obi-Wan had lifted C-3PO without putting a hand on it so that clearly was part of this skill.
At first, it felt like nothing was happening. He just felt like he was staring at the bolt. But then he idly thought about how to use it in a droid and something changed. Purpose help him focus on the bolt in a way that was separate from seeing it or touching it. And for a brief moment, what Obi-Wan said made sense - there was something around the bolt, something around it and in it, and he could nudge those threads.
And he thought he almost pushed hard enough to make something happened.
But in another heartbeat he lost grip on the sensation and it felt like everything fell apart in his mind.
He stared determined at the bolt. "I want to try again."
That determination made him grin with pure, uncomplicated happiness. That kind of... spirit and will wasn't easy to find in a slave, even one that was a child. It said a lot about his innate strength - and just as much about his mom.
"You almost had it. Please try again. You'll get it this time, I think."
He saw, or felt, the threads again - it was a bit easier to notice them this try.
Keeping his hands still, he tried to nudge those threads. They were... slippery, the more he tried to force it, the more elusive they were.
He stopped trying for a moment, trying to remember everything Obi-Wan had said - he'd said it was like his ability to know machines, which was very easy for him, he didn't even have to think about it.
So he tried not thinking about it, just be aware of those threads, and aware of what he wanted the bolt to do.
And then everything slotted into place at once, he didn't quite catch them all. But suddenly the bolt rolled in Obi-Wan's hand.
"Did I do it? Did you do that? Did I do it?" all the questions came tumbling out of him at once.
Anakin's reaction - the exuberance, the determination, the hope, the elation - whatever was tangled up in that rush of words and questions made Obi-Wan laugh, in delighted (and proud) surprise.
"You did it! I didn't do any of it. Good job, Anakin. Very, very good job."
This was such a bad idea, he knew, but nothing had felt this good to him in a... very long time.
Anakin beamed at Obi-Wan, grateful for the praise. His mother didn't hold back her pride in his accomplishments, but he was still a slave. Whatever his mother or other fellow slaves could build up for him, the slave masters could always tear it down.
And what a wonderful talent that he discovered to have. He had so few good things in his life.
"Can I keep practicing?" and, of course, he had so many questions. "How come I can do this? Can anyone? Can mom?"
He smiled, just a little, for Anakin's excitement and pride, but underneath that he was pretty serious.
"No. Not everyone can do it. You can probably practice more with your mom or with me, but nobody else. They wouldn't approve and would take it away. But I'll try to help you with it as much as I can."
Not that he had much training but compared to Anakin - it was enough to help though to what end....
He wasn't sure. Maybe just so Anakin could have it.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 01:22 am (UTC)But he still remained more sober.
"What's the Force?" he asked, "That's what the collar takes away?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 01:26 am (UTC)"The Force is an energy field that binds everything together. Some people can feel it and use it." He paused and gently lifted the protocol droid Anakin was putting together off the table a few inches before settling it back down. "Being aware of it or using it is what the collar takes away."
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 01:41 am (UTC)"How did you do that?" he said. It was taking him a moment to catch up and process what Obi-Wan was saying.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 01:43 am (UTC)"The same way you know what's going to happen in a pod-race before you should know. The Force."
This kid better not get Obi-Wan put back in a collar.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 01:50 am (UTC)"I could do that?"
He'll get back to the seriousness of what Obi-Wan was showing and telling him, he just needed to get over how awesome this very much was. He didn't have a lot of good in his life, so when it came along, he took hold of it with all his might.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 01:52 am (UTC)"Maybe." Not everyone could do everything, or was good at everything, but he had to adjust because truthfully what he'd done was far easier than staying alive during one of those races, at least from what he'd heard. "Probably. As long as no one who can stop you finds out."
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 03:26 am (UTC)And to give Obi-Wan a heart attack he said. "I want to try!"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 03:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-03-02 05:07 am (UTC)"Okay, what do I do?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-03 03:15 pm (UTC)"Now, you see if you can 'feel' the bolt - and focus on it. After that you should be able to sort of... push or pull the threads around it." It was hard to practically explain metaphysical stuff, ok?
no subject
Date: 2020-03-05 04:44 am (UTC)"Feel it...? Like how... I can 'feel' machines?"
no subject
Date: 2020-03-06 08:34 pm (UTC)"Yes! Exactly like that."
no subject
Date: 2020-03-07 02:11 am (UTC)He looked at the bolt in Obi-Wan's hand, resisting the urge to grab it. Obi-Wan had lifted C-3PO without putting a hand on it so that clearly was part of this skill.
At first, it felt like nothing was happening. He just felt like he was staring at the bolt. But then he idly thought about how to use it in a droid and something changed. Purpose help him focus on the bolt in a way that was separate from seeing it or touching it. And for a brief moment, what Obi-Wan said made sense - there was something around the bolt, something around it and in it, and he could nudge those threads.
And he thought he almost pushed hard enough to make something happened.
But in another heartbeat he lost grip on the sensation and it felt like everything fell apart in his mind.
He stared determined at the bolt. "I want to try again."
no subject
Date: 2020-03-09 05:42 pm (UTC)"You almost had it. Please try again. You'll get it this time, I think."
no subject
Date: 2020-03-14 05:02 pm (UTC)He saw, or felt, the threads again - it was a bit easier to notice them this try.
Keeping his hands still, he tried to nudge those threads. They were... slippery, the more he tried to force it, the more elusive they were.
He stopped trying for a moment, trying to remember everything Obi-Wan had said - he'd said it was like his ability to know machines, which was very easy for him, he didn't even have to think about it.
So he tried not thinking about it, just be aware of those threads, and aware of what he wanted the bolt to do.
And then everything slotted into place at once, he didn't quite catch them all. But suddenly the bolt rolled in Obi-Wan's hand.
"Did I do it? Did you do that? Did I do it?" all the questions came tumbling out of him at once.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 09:17 pm (UTC)"You did it! I didn't do any of it. Good job, Anakin. Very, very good job."
This was such a bad idea, he knew, but nothing had felt this good to him in a... very long time.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-31 05:07 am (UTC)And what a wonderful talent that he discovered to have. He had so few good things in his life.
"Can I keep practicing?" and, of course, he had so many questions. "How come I can do this? Can anyone? Can mom?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-01 02:35 am (UTC)"No. Not everyone can do it. You can probably practice more with your mom or with me, but nobody else. They wouldn't approve and would take it away. But I'll try to help you with it as much as I can."
Not that he had much training but compared to Anakin - it was enough to help though to what end....
He wasn't sure. Maybe just so Anakin could have it.