Video | welcome, hallo, buenos días, ohayō, etc, etc! | UN: Newt

[groupiedrifter]

[Newt comes shuffling into view on the screen, holding a cup of coffee in his hand with a bag of what seems to be Sour Patch Kids harrowingly hanging out from beneath the pinky finger of the very same hand. Disheveled but more than happy to provide his services after dragging himself out of bed, he taps his knuckle on the chalkboard beside him — one that used to be Hermann Gottlieb's, may he rest in peace (in a not dead way — may he rest in peace on a beach or something while wholly alive and thriving).]

Noticed an influx of new and kinda-new faces over the last few days or weeks or whatever.

So here's my handy dandy welcome board! Recently updated, to keep with the times.

Read it over and get a feel for how this place goes; I'm gonna finish off this coffee before I take any questions.

[As he takes the world's most obnoxious-sounding sip and burns his tongue, here's the board in question:]



[And then, after a bit of time, he turns the board over to the other side:]



[No worries, current crew, if you can't get one of those introduction papers in person!

Because he's attached them in file format, too.]



[And in case you wanted a text format copy:

Name:
Age:
Birthday:
Favorite color:
Favorite food:
Favorite subject:
Favorite toy:
Favorite animal:
Favorite candy:
Favorite activity:
Favorite place:
Favorite book:
Favorite TV show:
Favorite movie:
I am good at:
I want to learn:
Least favorite subject:
Place I want to go:
If I could make one wish, it would be:
If I could have one superpower, it would be:
This is what I want my teacher to know about me:

(Have at it — threadjacking is encouraged).]

Comments

[facultative]

[Anakin doesn't know everything about Obi-Wan's past, but going further into the past is odd. He isn't the type to linger on it.]

That you've decided to use again.

[ascetical]

Yes. It seemed the simplest decision at the time.

[ And even now he's already revealing far too much. ]

[facultative]

[He considers his next words carefully.]

Do you want me to use Ben too?

[ascetical]

Could I stop you even if I said 'no'?

[facultative]

I wouldn't.

[Anakin has never been more aware that this is a public channel and he hasn't yet had the chance to check how good the security settings on this is.

Why do you assume the worst of me?]

🔒 we lockin' this shit up tight

[ascetical]

[ It takes ... a second for Ben to figure out the privacy controls on his comms-device, and when it turns out that it really is just a simple matter of intending it to go only to Anakin, their thread of conversation conveniently locks up.

His voice had been light when he'd spoken, no different from discussing the weather or asking how his day was. It doesn't lose that lightness when he speaks next, but there is something that only someone who has known him for much of his life could pick up on.

It's ... complicated. The barest hint of weight. ]

I know. I'd only meant to tease you a little. [ But perhaps the circumstances of this place and the time between them only brings their tension to light instead. ] I would prefer 'Ben' if only because I wouldn't have to explain why I hadn't introduced myself to everyone as Obi-Wan.

[ And there's the barest hitch at the mention of his own name; how long has it been since he'd spoken it from his own lips, rather than dance around who he used to be? ]

[facultative]

[It was times like this that the years between them seemed like an insurmountable gulf.

Anakin keeps his tone flat. It only makes it obvious he's holding back as well, but he can't do this over the comms. Or if he's honest with himself, at all.]

I've already mentioned you to someone here. Next time I see him I'll tell him to keep it quiet.

[ascetical]

[ Ben feels the distance too, and it feels heavy in his chest. ]

If it's Cal you speak of, he already knows.

[facultative]

It's not Cal. I do expect a padawan to know who's on the Council.

[Obi-Wan's also the great Jedi of all time so naturally Anakin expects everyone in the Order to know him.]

It was some guy called Itachi.

[And now that he thinks back to how it had come up it feels so stupid and childish of him. Why would he care about someone saying something nice about Anakin?]

[ascetical]

[ That would be flattering, if it wasn't also something he doesn't pay any attention to at all.

And ... there's also the fact that by the time Cal was old enough to really care about such matters, the Council no longer existed ... anywayyyyy ... ]

Ah. [ Itachi had learned so much more about him than just his name. But that's a conversation for another time; he's admittedly still working through the fact that far too many fellow teammates have seen memories he would never willingly share. Not so openly, and not so soon. ] Yes, I suspect he'll keep it quiet if one asked.

[facultative]

[It's irrelevant in the end. Anakin would ensure his silence one way or another and Obi-Wan didn't need to know the details. Whatever it took as long as he got the job done.]

Do I have to stop calling you Master as well?

[Now that would be harder, it's more ingrained in him than using his name.]

[ascetical]

[ Anakin please; don't give Obi-Wan a reason to worry about whether you'll beat the poor young man up to subdue him to silence.

But now Obi-Wan does consider his former padawan's question. And decides: ]

No. Not if you don't want to.

[ Perhaps some things should remain as they were. It would be a small comfort to them both — or at least to him anyway, to have that familiarity. ]

[facultative]

[He finds himself unclenching muscles he didn't even realise were tensed. It leaves him feeling shaky and hollow even with the relief in knowing he's not being abandoned.]

I don't want to.

[He didn't want to ever give up their connection.]

I don't think I ever could.

[ascetical]

Well, you could if you wanted to.

[ Talk around in circles to avoid feeling something?

Sure. ]

But — I will admit I am relieved to hear you say that.

[facultative]

[He wants to ask so badly if things with them had changed so much that Anakin would stop calling him master, but he's not prepared for the answer.]

...Promise me you won't change your mind?

[ascetical]

[ He probably wouldn't like the answer.

It isn't even one Obi-Wan thinks he can clearly articulate. c':

Anyway!!!!!

Reassuringly: ]

I won't change my mind.