Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

Talking with Ben was as effective as beating his head into a brick wall, Anakin reflected sourly, especially if he tried to turn the subject to what his grandson had up to while he'd been home. He'd gotten much better with a lightsaber in the intervening time, and if Anakin were a talkative man, he would have pointed out how much that worried him.

"You wished to speak with me about something?" he asked Ben as he sat down and gestured to the other remaining chair.

[OOC: For...myself. Open after!]

Comments

[sith_happened]

"Completely," Anakin said. "But avoiding is just as good."

[solo_sword]

Phrased like that, it seemed a little wrong. "I don't think we're supposed to say that part out loud."

[sith_happened]

"I've never been good at diplomacy," Anakin said. "Does John have relatives coming back in for the ceremony?"

[solo_sword]

"His brother," Jaina said. "I'm sure it will be fun."

[sith_happened]

"The tool who was here in the fall?" Anakin made a face. "Yay."

[solo_sword]

"Sounds like you're a fan."

[sith_happened]

"He didn't like you." And for Anakin, that was the end of it.

[solo_sword]

"A lot of people don't like me," Jaina said. "I'd stick more on the part where he's an oppressive jerk." She had other adjectives, but she wasn't using them in front of her grandfather.

[sith_happened]

"I don't like them, either," Anakin said, "and I can think of a few other words to describe that guy."

[solo_sword]

"Last I heard, John was trying to figure out a way to get him to let him stay," she said. Not mindtricking.

[sith_happened]

"Smack him with a shovel until he agrees?" Anakin suggested. He was so helpful.

[solo_sword]

"I think that would cause more problems somehow," she told him.

[sith_happened]

"There's probably paperwork, but only if he goes to the clinic," Anakin said.

[solo_sword]

"I mean in the way that I don't think he'd be more inclined to leave his brother anywhere that people beat his relatives with shovels."

[sith_happened]

"We don't beat John with shovels," Anakin pointed out quickly.

Mostly because he'd never thought of it as an option.

[solo_sword]

"Like that guy cares what happens to John. That's not the point. In fact, it's the problem."

[sith_happened]

Anakin's frown deepened. "But they're brothers."

Not all people are so obsessively protective of their family, Anakin.

[solo_sword]

"His family's priorities are a little skewed like that," Jaina said. "They have their own set way of doing things, and if you don't fall in line with that, they don't like it much. What anyone actually wants doesn't really matter, apparently." She hadn't meant to start ranting, she really hadn't.

[sith_happened]

Anakin watched her. "Am I like that?" he finally asked. If he was anyone else, he would have been described as nervous.

[solo_sword]

"You're pushy in a different way," she assured him. Was that reassuring? "If I gave up being a Jedi tomorrow, I know by and large that my decision would be respected because I must have had a good reason for it." Because when Jacen tried it and Leia wasn't bothering to even try, it was Jaina getting on their cases, yes.

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave her a smile. "Something like that. I'm not going to withhold affection because I don't like a decision you've made. I get the feeling that might not be the same thing for John."

[solo_sword]

"Exactly. He's got plenty of support- my parents love him- but that family's a little hard that way."

[sith_happened]

Anakin pursed his lips. "Family's not supposed to work that way," he declared.

[solo_sword]

"No one said it was right," Jaina said.

[sith_happened]

"True," Anakin said. "Doesn't mean I'm a fan of emotional blackmail to get him to do what they want."