fandomhigh | Library (12/14/05)

Anakin came into the library, a stack of books in his arms.

The pageant was over--he didn't need to do any more research about Christmas.

And he had heard rumors about the mallet.

He walked towards the check-in desk.

Rory smiled wanly when Anakin walked up. "Hi. Glad you're getting these in - Zero was just talking about going after people for books, if neccessary."

"I've heard about the mallet," he said, smiling. He noticed the expression on her face. "Hey," he said softly, "what's wrong?"

Rory arched a brow and gave a tiny, mirthless laugh. "I really suck at hiding emotions, don't I? Um. Logan and I sort of broke up last night."

There was no reason for Anakin's heart to start pounding at that news.

So he ignored it, focusing instead on Rory. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. He looked into her eyes in a purely platonic-type way. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay. It was a good breakup, as far as these things go. Like, I'm sad? But I know it was the right thing to do," Rory shrugged. "So I'm kind of...peaceful about it, really."

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "That's very Jedi of you," he said. "You know, if Jedi had a philosophy about break-ups. Um. Which we don't."

Rory's smile widened imperceptibly. "Yay. Finally something Jedi-ish that I'm good at. But...yeah." She suddenly remembered something, and her smile melted away.

She leaned back in her chair and gave Anakin a somewhat hard look. "Why did you do that thing you did to Logan?" she asked quietly, conscious of the fact that someone could overhear.

Anakin's expression went carefully polite. "To diffuse the situation," he replied just as quietly. "Because if it had gotten any more out of control, one of us was going to do something that everyone was going to regret."

He left out the part where it probably would have been him.

Rory frowned. "It's invasive."

"It's effective," Anakin countered. "And it didn't hurt him. And it was the truth. It just got him to believe us a little quicker than he would've on his own."

He was looking just a little bit petulent.

Rory softened a little. "Okay. Still...do you do that often? Mess with people's heads without asking?" She arched a brow. "I mean, you haven't done it to me, have you?"

"Of course not," Anakin replied. "That would be an abuse of the Force." He ran a hand through his hair. "But in delicate situations, it's a nice, non-violent option."

His lower lip stuck out just a little bit more. "And I'd never do something like that to you," he muttered, not meeting her eyes.

Rory's smile appeared back on her face, and she reached across the desk to gently lay a hand on Anakin's arm. "I know you wouldn't. And I get why you did it yesterday. Better to do that rather than someone actually get hurt."

She moved her head into his line of sight, tilting it slightly to the left, and asked, "Do you get why I asked about it, though?"

Some of the tension went out of Anakin's stance at the touch. "Yeah, I guess I get it," he murmered, glancing at her quickly before returning to an intensive study of his boots. "But it really was the best option at the time."

"I know. And it made sense," Rory said quietly, still trying to get Anakin to look at her. "But you have to realize - I'm still not used to the fact that you can do that. So I might be a little more sensitive to boundaries and stuff than you are, just because I'm unfamiliar, okay?"

Anakin finally met her eyes and gave her a shy smile. "I can understand that," he said. "And it's not like I do something like that with the Force all that frequently, either. It's just part of who I am--like the glitter thing, and the lightsaber work, and the piloting reflexes."

He leaned his elbows onto the desk. "Speaking of which, I think I owe you a trip in the flight sim. It might be a good distraction if you're looking for one this week," he suggested.

"Ooh. Will you really let me fly it?" Rory asked, her eyes lighting up. "I mean, after you teach me how, of course."

"Where's the fun in just sitting in a sim?" he asked. "Of course you can fly it."

He grinned. "And I promise to be a better passenger than Obi-Wan is." He lowered his voice. "He's been known to scream like a girl if I get too close to buildings."

Rory matched his grin. "Yay! And that's why I don't drive with my grandparents anymore," she said with an affirmative nod. "I'm not a reckless driver, just like how you're, I'm sure, a perfectly capable pilot. Some people just worry too much."

"It's a da--er, plan, then," Anakin said. "I kinda have to put the sim back together, though." He looked abashed. "I was trying to turn into a Viper--the kind of ship they fly where Lee's from--and I got a little outsmarted."

He grinned. "But turning it back into my ship? Piece of cake."

"Wasn't Cally building one of those? I thought I heard something about that," Rory wondered aloud.

She shook her head and blinked, arching both brows at Anakin curiously. "And what kind of ship is yours? I mean...not that I'd know the name or anything, but can you describe it? Or is it one of those things where I'll have to see for myself?"

Anakin nodded. "Yep, she was. She's going to let me fly it, too." His eyes lit up. "Maybe over break. It'll be the first time it'll get airborne." He bounced a little on the balls of his feet. "It'll be great."

Talking about his ship made him even happier. "Well, it's a Jedi starfighter," he began, "so it's not really mine because of the whole 'no possessions' thing, but I've tweaked it a bit for me--the engines are bulked up, the trigger's more sensitive, the guns rotate faster--" he trailed off. "I'm probably boring you to tears."

He clasped his hands together in front of him. "She's sleek, she's fast, and she's heavily armed. She's also an absolute joy to fly." He grinned. "You'll love it."

He yanked at his braid. "Normally, the starfighter's a one-being ship, but I'll rig up the trainer model with two seats." He gave her a smile. "That way I can show you the controls rather than just being a voice in your ear telling you to grab that level, no, the other one, lower, and to the left." He snickered. "Which is how I've seen some Jedi learn. Normally the more hopeless of the pilots."

Rory beamed at his enthusiasm, and ran a hand through her hair. She idly played with one wavy lock in an unconscious imitation of what Anakin was doing with his braid.

"Wow. I'm glad you'll be in there with me, since I'm probably going to be a bit confused by it. I'd probably accidentally blow it up, or something, if I were left to my own devices in there. Plus," she shrugged, blushing faintly, "it'll be more fun with you actually showing me, and stuff."

[ooc: *bounces off to class for about an hour*]

"You wouldn't blow it up," Anakin said firmly, "but I'll be glad to show you how it works." He blushed, too, and shuffled his feet.

"I should probably let you get back to work, huh?" he finally said.

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