They're holding me back

School gates [just before 2 o'clock]

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:41:15 GMT

Anakin had his bag and his lightsaber and a transport to catch.

He just needed to say goodbye to three people...and let go of Rory's hand, which he was holding like it was the only thing keep him upright.

[OOC: For Aeryn, John, and Rory, please. Very much for broadcast.]

Secluded and NFB clearing in the woods [morning]

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:37:21 GMT

Anakin, leaving a note for a dozing Rory, had snuck out of his room just before dawn and headed first to the weapons locker, then to the beach to watch the sunrise.

It would be a long time before he'd see water this clean again. Coruscant wasn't exactly famed for its natural wonders.

He closed his eyes and stretched out with his feelings, memorizing everything about Fandom: the smells of pastry coming from J, GOB, the much less appealing odor of the zombie band at Caritas, coffee and books and a slight hint of Jello. He heard the sounds of the waves lapping against the shore, students tossing in their beds and the pirate's terrible morning music program. He watched as the sun's rays reflected off of the school and decided that it was almost as beautiful as the Temple at sunset.

He thought back to zombies and gremlins, pageants and common rooms, laughter and tears, and friendships that he never thought he'd have in his life. He'd never been this happy before.

And that wasn't even counting the love he'd found that he'd never even hoped for.

Rory's face flashed through his mind and he relived a thousand moments of his time with her in the space of a few seconds.

He stood up, brushed the sand--he wouldn't miss that--from his robes and headed for the place in the woods he thought of as theirs. He found a tree off to the side of the clearing, ignited his lightsaber and with precise motions carved "AS & RG" into the wood.

Then he leaned against it and waited for Rory to arrive.

Hyperion, Sunday morning

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 21:33:55 GMT

Anakin, box of stuff in hand, arrived in ~~a totally overdramatic flash of light~~ the center of the Hyperion lobby.

"Hope this is the right place," he said to himself, then raised his voice. "Hello? Anyone here?"

OOC: Plz to not mention Luke to Anakin...

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:31:38 GMT

With the names of the new students circulating, I just wanted to ask an OOC favor of all of your characters: please don't mention Luke to Anakin for the rest of Anakin's *sniffle* stay in Fandom.

Thank you for saving my boy from even more angst!

OOC: Attention Flight Students

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:53:03 GMT

*cough*

Coruscant's open for business.

Pre-play through Friday yay!

I swear I'll stop spamming your flists now...

Room 123 [before classes, morning]

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 22:26:02 GMT

Anakin had been putting off a transmission for entirely too long.

But after making that drunk dial on Saturday from Sam's room, talking to Obi-Wan again was not exactly something Anakin had been looking forward to.

He took his comlink from his belt pouch with a sigh, put on his most sober and "of course that hadn't been me, Master" look on his face, and called Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan's image came back immediately. "Hello, Anakin," he said with a small smile.

Anakin immediately decided he hated that smile. "Good morning, Master," he replied, nodding his head. "Has the Council come to a decision about my workshop coming to Coruscant?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes, they have. You and your class are welcome to come back to the Temple. This time, I'll even be here to greet you."

Anakin gave Obi-Wan a slightly strained smile. "I look forward to seeing you, Master."

"I'm certain of it," Obi-Wan replied. "Though it seems you've found ways to entertain yourself without my supervision."

Anakin turned beet red. "Um."

Obi-Wan didn't smirk--that would have been wrong--but his hand stroked his beard in a way Anakin recognized as Trick #1459 to Hide a Smile.

"Oh, one more thing," Obi-Wan said, turning serious. "The Council has set the date for your permanent return."

Anakin's heart was beating hard in his chest. "Yes, Master?"

"August 29th on the Earth calendar," Obi-Wan said. He gave Anakin a genuine smile. "It will be good to have you home again."

Anakin stared at the ground, unable to speak.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's voice was stern. "It's time to start letting go."

Anakin nodded. "Yes, Master. I'll see you soon."

Obi-Wan gave him a searching look, then ended the transmission.

Anakin sat down on the bed with a heavy thump. He had 25 days left.

It wasn't nearly enough time.

Oh so conviently NFB clearing in the woods [morning]

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 18:05:23 GMT

Anakin woke up with a small groan, reaching out to touch his swollen face.

A night's sleep out in the woods hadn't improved the way his nose or eye looked and had sadly confirmed that yesterday hadn't been some form of hallucination.

Anakin stretched his arms up over his hand and looked around.

Nothing to be done, then. Time to build a hut and become a crazy hermit Jedi.

He stood up, smiling down at Rory asleep on the blanket, and got to work.

Flamingo A-1 [Saturday evening]

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 03:19:20 GMT

Leo'd had a tough day.

He'd been smooth with the ladies--though Rizzo hadn't been all that into it, initially--and had totally crashed Rydell High's stupid little dance. That's when the wheels had kind of come off the wagon. Wait, he'd get to that later. Stupid Kenickie had beat on him when he'd just been dancing, then That Bastard Zuko'd beat him down at Thunder Road.

Though there'd been a lovely parting gift, his head was still killing him.

He walked back to his alcove, wondering briefly what the hell he was doing out in the freakin' woods, and took a nap.

...and woke up Anakin.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Anakin tried to dive under his pillow as the memories of what he'd done that day flooded over him, but his head was stuck to it already.

"I'll never be clean again," he whimpered.

Flamingo A-1 [Morning]

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 17:07:35 GMT

Leo rolled out of bed and reached immediately for his comb, hairgel, and mirror.

He couldn't find any of them. "The hell?" he growled, walking down to the bathroom and getting a good look at himself. The braid...well, the braid he supposed he was a badass enough to pull off, but the ponytail definitely had to go.

A handful of someone's gel and his hair was as greased up as he could possible hope for.

He squeezed himself into a pair of leather pants and a jacket, stuck his comb into his back pocket and went out to find trouble.

Women or Thunderbirds to beat up on--didn't really matter.

[OOC: Oh, look, another establishing post.]

Flamingo A-1 [morning]

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:04:23 GMT

Anakin reached for his laptop with a sigh. He hadn't written to Obi-Wan since Obi-Wan had returned from his negotiations on Alderaan.

He needed to ask permission to bring his workshop to Coruscant later in the session.

He wanted to kill Obi-Wan for the photos he'd sent to Rory. Which reminded him...he scrawled a note on a scrap of paper--more songs about Lolas?--before beginning a written transmission to Obi-Wan.

Master,

Rory says thank you for the gift you sent her. I'd give you the silent treatment about it--I'm not quite as grateful, as you'd imagine--but we did that already this weekend and its appeal has rather worn off. The entire island couldn't speak for two days--it was very unsettling. The creatures responsible were so dangerous that the school put us in lockdown. I handled the inability to go out and fight very well.

I did. Don't look at the transmission like that. I can see your eyebrow from here.

Rory's mother gave birth on July 4--some sort of national holiday in the part of the planet--and I got a chance to meet Bucky shortly thereafter. He's so little, Master. Um, not saying that I want to work with younglings or anything. Rory's mother is doing fine and Rory is very excited about being a big sister.

I've also done some exploring. I went up to New York for a weekend. It was a city that some of the students in my workshop had compared to Coruscant, albeit on a much, much smaller scale. The city only covers an island a little bit more, rather than an entire planet.

Oh, and speaking of Coruscant and my workshop, I've been the second session of classes. Would the Council be open to bringing this new group of students to Coruscant as well? Will you be there this time?

They don't want to become Jedi or anything. Unlike someone else at camp. I've tried to explain to him why he can't, but he seems to have plans. I have a bad feeling about this.

Hope your negotiations went well on Alderaan. Was your favorite Senator there? I've been helping one of the new students here with some matters of protocol.

Really. Stop laughing like that. I look forward to hearing about your adventures soon, Master.

--Anakin.

He sent the transmission off. He didn't think that Obi-Wan needed to hear about his experiments with the aerodynamic capabilities of croissants. Or his fight with Rory. Or their making-up. Or the making-out in the library. And definitely not the celebration of their anniversary.

After making a call to a local airport about renting a plane for sky writing--he still couldn't believe he was doing that--he pulled out a datapad of information about the latest tax issues between the Core worlds and the Outer Rim and hoped rather desperately for a distraction.

[OOC: Open for anyone looking for Anakin...]

Rory's Alcove [Some point during the morning when she's out] [NFB]

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:40:15 GMT

Hood up and using all of the skills Obi-Wan had taught him over the years on how not to be seen, Anakin snuck into Meerkat cabin and made his way down to Rory's alcove.

He left seven red roses on her bed along with a note:

I didn't forget.
Always, --A.

He was gone as quickly as he had been there.

Outside of Flamingo Cabin [afternoon after classes]

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 17:57:05 GMT

Anakin had found a shady tree to sit underneath while he read up on the etiquette of the British court.

Yeah, that was his idea of fun summertime reading. He was getting quite into the story of Charles and Diana.

[OOC: Anakin's waiting for Willow, but he'll chat with anyone.]

Conveniently secluded spot in the woods [after workshops] [NFB]

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:32:11 GMT

Anakin--and Yoda--had moved back into their alcove in Flamingo.

Anakin had "accidentally" left the Statue of Liberty hat Rory had insisted he get in New York back in the dorms. Not that he'd ever tell anyone he had that hat. Even if they saw the pictures.

Now he was out in the woods trying to meditate. And if meditating looked a little like sulking for getting yelled at--why have a car that can fly if you're never going to make it fly, he wanted to know--well, it was probably a little like sulking.

Room 123 [Early afternoon]

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:55:31 GMT

Anakin sat in his room, trying to concentrate on his meditation.

His mind was whirling with too many thoughts to really concentrate, though.

There had been the trip to Washington DC, celebrating a six-month anniversary, and puppy-sitting while Rory had been gone (It was better when she'd come back, of course). He'd checked up on Tyler like he'd told Rory and helped Veronica with a particularly nasty ghost from her past. He'd talked with Callisto , attended his first baby shower and blown off some steam (both in the gym and, um, not exactly in the gym) and then headed back to Coruscant with the flight workshop where he'd shown Peter about lightsabers, accidentally gotten Rory drunk, and caught up with an old friend.

He kinda hated Mace Windu now, though.

And then they'd come back in time to fight Jello dragons. And then to make chocolate mousse (only slightly more successful than sand cookies). And to apologize for being a giant ass. He shook his head.

So, yeah, it was hard for him to concentrate on the glitter that sparkled above his head.

[OOC: Door's closed, but the Jedi is in...]

Room 123 [early evening]

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 22:20:19 GMT

The Jedi transport would be picking the flight students up at dawn the next morning to take them all to Coruscant.

Anakin? Nervous about it? Never.

Which was why he was certainly not laying on his bed checking the list he had made about the trip for the twentieth time.

The door was open, though, if anyone wanted to distract him. Not that he needed a distraction.

Because he wasn't nervous.

Really.

[OOC: Open like an open thing that isn't closed.]

Room 123 [lunch time]

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:12:48 GMT

With the curtains in the room carefully shut to block out the sun's rays, Anakin sat on his bed and gave Vladdie his bottle.

Yeah, the Jedi's quite a badass. Which was why the babbling stream of conversation he was having the puppy was not quite audible.

[OOC: Anakin's waiting for Willow, but other visitors are welcome, too]

Room 123 [evening]

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:50:45 GMT

Anakin was in his room tossing a ball for Vladdie.

Vladdie was zipping around the room, as vampire puppies do.

Yoda was in his turtle tank just glad not to be used as the ball.

Yup, just a normal night in Fandom.

[That Anakin's in his room, fine. Who's he's talking to on the phone, NFB, plz]

Room 123 [early evening] [NFB]

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 18:54:28 GMT

After teaching flight, Anakin had headed out to the junkyard. He'd discovered a wreck of a motorcycle and had spent the next few hours getting happily covered in dirt and grease as he worked on converting it into a swoop bike.

It wasn't close to being completed, but he'd get it done in time for next week's class.

Rory had said she wanted to talk to him, so he left the door to his room slightly propped open as he headed into the shower.

[OOC: for the OMGJUSTAFRIEND, please. Oh, and now NWS, whoops]

Room 123 [early morning]

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 22:04:53 GMT

Anakin sat crosslegged on his bed, working on a new meditation exercise Obi-Wan had sent him in a recent package.

Yoda, floating around the room close to the ceiling, was not at all enamored with it. His tiny turtle-y rage went unnoticed.

Anakin's communication device chirped and a very, very grainy miniature Obi-Wan appeared before him.

"Master," Anakin said, sitting up straight and trying to look more composed. Just out of the range of the commlink's vision, Yoda dropped with a turtle-y thunk.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, looking serious. "I wanted to check in. Your communication last week had me...concerned."

Anakin ran a hand through his hair and gave a short laugh. "A misunderstanding, Master. Certain aspects of the Jedi life are very strange to the beings on this planet, and I don't have your way with words." He shrugged. "Feelings were hurt."

Even through the graininess of the transmission, Obi-Wan's expression was deeply skeptical.

"But things in the Temple are okay?" Anakin asked, trying to change the subject. "I had a pretty disturbing nightmare last week, but it was probably linked to the book Rory read--it also made mummies appear on the island and turned the pond into coffee."

Obi-Wan blinked. "Wait. What?"

Anakin waved it off. "We killed them. Not that important. Oh! I got through an entire practice with the dual lightsaber form and didn't get shot in the ass once."

Obi-Wan laughed. "That's good to hear, Anakin. Did you get the package I sent you? What did you need Nubian fighter helmets for?"

"Realism in the simulation for class," Anakin replied. "We'll be reenacting the Battle of Naboo this week."

"Speaking of realism," Obi-Wan began, "the Council got back to me about your request to use a starfighter for your class."

"Yes?"

"No," Obi-Wan replied. "No to sending you one. However," he said before Anakin could say anything, "they are open to having your class come to Coruscant and use one under their supervision."

"Really?" Anakin's eyes lit up. "That would be great. They could see the Temple and the tapcafes and everything."

Obi-Wan nodded. "That's the idea. I, unfortunately, am heading off for a series of trade negotiations on Alderaan, so I won't be there to help supervise."

Anakin looked disappointed. "Oh."

"You'll hardly notice I'm missing," Obi-Wan said. "You'll be too busy making sure none of your students end up in the wrong sections of Coruscant." That was not a suggestion, and Anakin knew it.

"Yes, Master," he replied meekly. Well, meekly for Anakin.

Obi-Wan lifted an eyebrow. "Good. I'll be in contact soon." He gave a small wave and the transmission cut out.

Anakin blew out a breath and went to retrieve Yoda, who gave him a tiny turtle-y glare. Anakin ignored it. After pistachio wars and pudding rain, meeting new people, being attacked by clinging kittens, telling Rory about knives being tossed at him and then her being sick (though other things this week--like Caritas--hadn't been bad at all), well, a tiny turtle glaring at him wasn't enough to knock him off-stride for very long.

Room 123 [way late] [NFB]

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 04:43:07 GMT

"They need sleep. But you need sleep, too," Anakin said to Rory, opening the door to his room. "And there won't be much sleep in your room tonight."

He was being logical. Really.

Room 123 [afternoon]

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 21:36:46 GMT

Anakin hadn't gone back to sleep after the nightmare from last night, and had spent most of the day trying to ignore the echoes of the voices in his head and the visions of people in pain he kept catching out of the corner of his eye.

After a long walk in the woods that hadn't done anything other than get him bit by mosquitoes, he walked back into his room and checked his messages.

Obi-Wan had written back.Anakin,

All we can be is who we are, who the Force calls us to be. You were born - more than any of us - to be a Jedi, and the life of a Jedi is never an easy one. Sometimes the hardest enemy we face is ignorance -- and our own fears. Trust in the Force, and be mindful of your experiences so that you learn from them.

I can try and teach you to be a Jedi, but you're learning on your own how to be a good man.

You're missed here, too. Though it's nice not having impromptu youngling banthabell concerts anymore.

-- Obi-Wan

Anakin wiped fiercely at the tears in his eyes, then printed the transmission out and left it on his desk to reread later.

He scrawled Gone to Blood Gulch Arms onto a piece of paper, taped it to his door for anyone who might be looking for him, and walked out of the dorms again.

Maybe some lightsaber practice would help clear his head.

Room 213 [3 o'clock in the morning, when all scary things happen] [NFB]

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 06:26:14 GMT

Anakin tossed restlessly on the bed. And as he tossed, he dreamed…

He was on the beach, surrounded a large group of Fandom students. He pulled his robe closer around him to block the chilly autumn air, grateful for the excuse not to look at the bonfire.

As Lorelai stood up, the crowd pushed closer. Even in the dark, Anakin could tell that her eyes were red from crying. "We're all here," she began, voice cracking, "to say goodbye."

And he knew that Angelus had succeeded, that Rory was gone, and it was his fault for not recognizing sooner what Angelus really was.

Wiping angrily at his face, he turned away…

…only to find himself at a different bonfire, gazing up into Obi-Wan's haunted eyes as Qui-Gon burned.

He stepped backward and the world spun again. He was in Fandom's graveyard, staring down at an all-too-familiar name. "You said you'd protect her, Anakin," a voice said behind him. Anakin spun to explain himself to Professor Tick…

…and found himself holding the broken body of his mother instead. "I knew you'd come back," she whispered, then stopped breathing.

Anakin blinked in shock, then covered his eyes to hide them as Padme's diplomatic vessel exploded in a ball of fire over Coruscant.

In the bed, Anakin twitched and whimpered.

In his dream, he covered his eyes, trying to block what he was seeing. He heard blaster fire and lightsabers, screams of pain and then terrible, terrible silence. He cracked his eyes open and stared aghast at an empty Jedi temple. His boots echoed eerily as he walked around, stepping over bodies of friends and teachers, searching desperately for one particular face.

"Where were you?"

He opened his mouth to say something to Obi-Wan, but the Temple was gone. He was back in the detention center where he had rescued Obi-Wan, but this time he was too late. Horrible laughter grated at his ears as he reached for Obi-Wan's body…

…as Padme screamed out his name in terrible pain…

…as he watched Obi-Wan struck down in a different battle, volcanoes erupting behind him…

…as Jedi were encircled by thousands of droids and mowed down like grass…

…as Rory dropped like a rag doll and Drusilla gave him a razor-sharp smile…

"Anakin!"

"Anakin, help me!"

"Annie!"

"Anakin, no!"

He scrubbed at his face in despair. He was too late. He was always too late. He couldn't save anyone. Everyone he loved was dead, and it was entirely his fault. He didn't know enough, he wasn't fast enough, he wasn't strong enough, he wasn't good enough.

And he never would be.

"Some Chosen One," a woman's scornful voice said from behind him. He spun around, furious, ready to tell Parker to shut her stupid mouth…

…when the whole thing started over again.

Anakin moaned aloud, but didn't wake up.

[OOC: This? Is not a happy fun dream. Ye be warned.]

Settling into Room 123 [Sunday evening]

Sun, 04 Jun 2006 23:12:02 GMT

It had been a very long week, Anakin thought with a sigh as he unlocked his new dorm room and set Yoda down on the desk.

There had been getting drunk with Jaye, a discussion about lightsabers that had apparently traumatized Dean, and yummy carrot cake from Sam. And then there had been kissing of the other Sam. Yes, the guy. Anakin blamed the singing vodka bottle.

There had been talks with Cameron about Molly and Tyler about beaches. Alec had gotten his bike back, too, and Sam had put in a request for one of her own. Anakin snorted. So had John Connor, but after breaking up a fight in Koala in the middle of the night because of one of John's nightmares, Anakin wasn't feeling particularly inclined towards making something fast and dangerous for him.

And there had been Parker. And Rory's nightmare. Even their trip to the beach, dancing at the luau, and their pie-throwing picnic hadn't been quite enough for him to shake off the melancholy. Not even flying the sim after class. But hearing Aeryn say she wasn't afraid of him had certainly helped. Maybe he wasn't as completely out of control as Parker seemed to believe.

Anakin spent a long, long time meditating in the center of his bare room before finally feeling like he had come to some sort of internal balance.

Then he sprawled out on his bed and tried to write to Obi-Wan.

An hour later he was still staring at a message that began:

Master,

...and hadn't gone any further. Anakin stared at the screen for a long time before finally writing I miss you. I miss beings who understand the Jedi. and hitting the transmission button.

With a sigh, he stood up, fed Yoda, and walked out of his room looking for a distraction.

Outside Flamingo [early afternoon]

Tue, 30 May 2006 19:11:26 GMT

Anakin? Was hungover.

Anakin? Had heard the radio broadcast.

Therefore Anakin? Not in the best mood ever.

He's out working on Alec's motorcycle--he'd had gotten it hovering now. And no, the noises it was making weren't helping his headache.

Approach with caution...

[OOC: There are a couple people who wanted to wander past, I believe...]

[That Parker and Anakin fought is for broadcast. The specifics, yeah, NFB plz.]

Flamingo A1 [morning]

Sun, 28 May 2006 20:41:39 GMT

Anakin hadn't gotten much sleep last night.

Well, any.

With a sigh, he sat up in bed and stared at his right arm. The tattooing was barely visible now and the polish had worn off of his nails. He tossed the glove into the trash can with a very small smile of relief, then reached for his datapad.

Obi-Wan was in the middle of negotiations--it wouldn't do to interrupt him with a call.

But Anakin had to talk to someone.

Master,

My first try at being a flight instructor worked out better than I had planned. My students flew simulated podracers on the Boonta Eve track. There was a fair amount of crashing into walls, but some of them show a real flair for flying.

Oh, and Rory flies like you do.

The school has moved us out into cabins for the first part of summer camp. I'm a Flamingo.

Well, not literally.

I'm fairly certain it's a bad thing that I need to qualify that.

Anyway, it's the cabin for the graduates, which has been interesting. Some of the other cabins have been pulling pranks on each other, but we've been unscathed so far. One of my fellow Flamingos decorated the front of our cabin with plastic flamingoes (which are large pink birds if you are too busy to look it up yourself, Master). They are very, very pink. And plastic. And a little tacky. Do you think Master Vos would enjoy a pair?

It's been nice connecting with old friends and meeting some of the new students. One of them, Alec, has let me take his motorcycle and turn it into a speeder bike. Don't look at me like that--I'll be careful.

~~Parker hates me now~~ ~~Rory got into a huge fight with Parker over me and I'm feeling incredibly guilty~~ ~~Why is there something about me that scares people?~~ ~~I miss you~~

I hope your negotiations are going well.

--Anakin.

PS: The tattoo finally wore off. Next time, you're the one who has to undergo the amusing native ritual.

Anakin hit send on the transmission, then laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling some more.

[OOC: Open to Flamingoes, if any are about...]