Office hours [all day Thursday. Yes. Thursday.]

[sith_happened]

Anakin hadn't been in his office since the end of the spring semester, so he'd decided to spend some time there cleaning cobwebs, updating holos and rearranging furniture before classes began.

And glancing at the open door every five seconds waiting to see if his granddaughter might show up.

You know, all casual-like.

{ooc: oooooopen}

Comments

[solo_sword]

"I know that," she said, sounding a little tired. Not that she'd been through this with Karal or anything. "Okay, here it is: I reacted badly, but I won't make excuses. I did some things I'm very sorry for, and others I'm not so sorry for because it worked out for the better. I'm here. I agreed to be here, much as I hate it. I'm working on it. What should I be doing, wallowing? What good is that going to do?"

[sith_happened]

"It's the part that you're not so sorry for that worries me," Anakin said bluntly. "Good results that come out of bad reactions are still bad, Jaina. I don't need you to wallow," though Anakin had certainly done more than his share of it, "but I do need you to pinpoint where you started falling this time. The dark side isn't a one-time thing and ignoring what led you there is a guarantee that you'll do it again."

He let out an unhappy sigh. "I'm kind of an expert on it. I have been where you are. There is nothing you can admit to that will shock me."

[solo_sword]

"I know when I started falling. Look, I'm coming to grips with everything. Why can't everyone just do the same?" She was genuinely curious about this. And for someone who was better at doing things than saying them, this was really a frustration.

[sith_happened]

He gave her a very tiny smile. "Is it too much to imagine that people care about you?" he asked softly. "It's been a bad month, and there are parts of it that can't be fixed. I don't want to lose you, too, my Jaina. Not to something I know how to prevent."

[solo_sword]

"I know people care." In fact, she was trying to stop that. "But I don't want to dwell on past mistakes. I did stupid stuff. Okay, moving on, and being productive."

[sith_happened]

Anakin didn't look that eager to let the matter drop, but he was afraid he was treading into useless Obi-Wan cliche territory.

"Acknowledge and move on," he agreed finally. "But don't hate your time here."

[solo_sword]

"I don't. Entirely." And that was all thanks to a whopping one person.

[sith_happened]

"Why do you think Durron brought you here?" Anakin asked, hiding the hurt in his eyes like a professional.

[solo_sword]

"To deal, and get over myself. Which I'm doing," Jaina answered. And she was, mostly.

[sith_happened]

"If he hasn't come back to pick you up, perhaps he doesn't think the lesson is complete," Anakin offered.

[solo_sword]

She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Or he likes torturing me, which is also completely possible."

[sith_happened]

"I'd offer some kind of platitude about the value of patience," Anakin said, "but it would be beyond hypocritical coming from me. I'm sure they aren't trying to coddle you or keep you from military engagements."

And if they were, well, Anakin wouldn't blame them.

[solo_sword]

"An entire military engagement is on hold for me," Jaina countered. "I'm not worth that. Either cut me loose or bring me back."

[sith_happened]

"They will on their time," Anakin replied. "You picked the irritating Master, after all."

[solo_sword]

"He picked me," she clarified.

[sith_happened]

"But you already had a Master," Anakin said, sounding confused. "You can just poach apprentices like that?"

[solo_sword]

"He offered a long time ago," Jaina said. "I still don't know if he was really serious. I just... took him up on it when it suited me."

[sith_happened]

And she wondered why he looked so concerned. "I remember a few months ago when you were ready to drop in into the nearest sun for using you," he said. "He fights with Luke, he seems to have has no problem killing enemy civilians...is this what you want to learn?"

[solo_sword]

"It was," she admitted. She'd gotten used to the fact that she just couldn't sound good talking about Hapes. "Now he's trying to teach me that redemption thing."

[sith_happened]

By sending her back to Fandom. It seemed to Anakin that Kyp was getting Anakin to do all the heavy lifting on that particular lesson. "And what have you learned so far?"

[solo_sword]

"Don't do it again," she said simply, not appreciating feeling quizzed.

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave her an annoyed look. "A first year Padawan knows that," he said. "You're capable of greater insight."

[solo_sword]

"But that's what it all boils down to, isn't it? It's not like I don't know what I did wrong, and it's not like I couldn't theoretically do it again," Jaina said. "It's just not doing it."

[sith_happened]

"Easy as that," he said softly. "Amazing that it took me twenty years to figure it out."

[solo_sword]

"I'm not you," she told him. "My experiences won't be the same. The way I get through things won't be the same. This is what it is for me."