Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

Okay, so the rendition of "Everything You Can Do, I Can Better" with Ben had been...uncomfortable.

But Anakin had decided, very maturely, just not to talk at all for the rest of the day.

Yeah, that'd work.

Especially with the door open.

Comments

[trigons_child]

Raven was happily unaware of the epidemic of singing before she arrived at Anakin's office. However, once she stepped through that door and opened her mouth to greet Professor Skywalker, that changed.

So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strength.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

At least her voice was quite lovely, but Raven was mortified, covering her mouth with her hand and turning a bright red.

[sith_happened]

Anakin pretended like absolutely nothing was unusual about that. "Hello, Rachel. Come in?"

[trigons_child]

Maybe she was hallucinating? Or dreaming while awake? Because if Anakin wasn't reacting to her sudden outburst of song, then maybe it really didn't happen. She wasn't sure if that was better than actually spontaneously singing.

"Good morning, Professor Skywalker," Raven said, regaining her composure. She took her seat, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.

[sith_happened]

"Good morning," Anakin said, then grimaced and sang, "...starshine. The earth says hello. You twinkle above us! We twinkle below!"

Mmm. Hippie singing. Anakin's favorite.

[trigons_child]

All those years of being trained not to show emotion came in very handy at that moment. Her intention was to get quickly to the point about the nightmare she'd had about her father, but she got as far as "Yesterday morning I had a nightmare" before singing again:

"Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you, loving you
I won't let you pull me down

Hunting you I can smell you - alive
Your heart pounding in my head."

Oh, please let this be another dream. Please?

[sith_happened]

Anakin frowned, then tried something different.

Can you hear me? he tried, focusing his mind on hers.

Anakin was a big cheater.

[trigons_child]

Raven? Sooooo not going to complain. Her own skills at mind-to-mind communication were only when the writers wanted her to have them not strong, but she was definitely not incapable.

Yes. Can you hear me?

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked decidedly smug.

Yes, he replied because the SW writers flip back and forth due to plot needs, too. Maybe we can skip the singing here. You had a nightmare?

[trigons_child]

Raven tensed involuntarily at the memory. Yes. I have had dreams about my father before, but this one was the worst.

[sith_happened]

Anakin wondered if doing this conversation mind-to-mind was going to make it harder on Rachel.

"How much worse?" he asked aloud, an unspoken promise that he wasn't going to probe for more than she wanted to share.

[trigons_child]

Harder, but also easier in a way, since it was simpler to show rather than tell. She fought against the tension, trying to relax and open herself so she could let Anakin see. It faintly occurred to her that mother addressed her by her true name in the dream, but she trusted Anakin enough by this point that she did not care.

[sith_happened]

Anakin sucked in a breath and sent a wave of comfort toward her. "That much worse," he said softly.

He noted the change in name, but didn't think it was much to comment on at the moment. "How often do you have a variation of this dream?"

[trigons_child]

"I first dreamed of my father when I was ten years old," Raven said, "not long after Azar, my teacher, died. They have been infrequent since then, at first perhaps once a year, but more as I grew older. This one...it felt as if I were truly there."

[solo_sword]

Yeah, good luck with the not talking today! Jaina herself hadn't felt the need to sing at all, so she didn't notice anything was up. Otherwise she might not be knocking on the doorframe.

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked up and waved her in.

[solo_sword]

"No hello?" she asked, stepping inside.

[sith_happened]

"There's been singing," he hissed.

[solo_sword]

Between that and the sudden bunny snore of her phone going off, today was looking up. "You've been singing and I missed it?"

[sith_happened]

No point in lying about it. "Yes," he said sourly.

[solo_sword]

"What'd you sing?" She would probably not recognize the song at all. Didn't matter.

[sith_happened]

"Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better," he mumbled. "Ben started it."

[solo_sword]

"That doesn't surprise me at all," she said, frowning. "I was hoping for something embarrassing."

[sith_happened]

"It was plenty embarrassing," Anakin replied.

Like...now, for instance.

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense ...

[solo_sword]

"You can stop now," said Jaina quickly.

[sith_happened]

"Trying," he gritted out.

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose...

Billy Joel, Fandom? Really?