Accents

punsbulletsandpointythings:

lacefedora:

No one is sure why it happens, though the wisest masters will simply say ‘The Force’ and leave it at that. Obi-Wan hasn’t thought about it in ages when Anakin finally asks him about it.

“Master… if all the force sensitives come to the Temple as babies, how do they develop all these different ways of talking?” Anakin asks. It’s only been a few months since he had started his apprenticeship. Obi-Wan and he had been spending a great deal of time at temple, bringing Anakin’s education up to date.

“Different ways of speaking? You mean our accents?” Obi-wan asks him, coming to sit beside Anakin on the old couch. A scent hits his nose when he lands on it and Obi-wan swore it still smelled like Qui-Gon, but he doesn’t dwell on that thought.

“Yeah, I mean I get why I sound different… Mine’s the usual slave accent on Tattooine… I’m working on refining it.” He admits, flushing a bit and Obi-Wan finds himself reaching out, ruffling the boys hair.

“And a fine job you’re doing, but there is nothing wrong with the way you speak, Well… except the crass Huttese.” He says and shares a smile with his Padawan. Anakin grins at him. He’d been teaching Obi-Wan Huttese. It was a language Obi-Wan had often wanted to learn and it helped Anakin feel more comfortable and steady, particularly since he was behind in so many subjects. OBi-wan was behind on his Huttese, so it put them on a better footing.

“I suppose that most of us seem to pick up the accents of our homeworld.” Obi-wan says. Anakin blinks at him and frowns.

“But, most of you haven’t been there since you were babies.” He points out.

“No, that’s true, but regardless, our earliest memories are from there. They’re of our parents speaking to us as babies, or the people speaking around us. Even if we don’t remember; we pick these things up. As force sensitives we often absorb things, like language, differently.” Obi-wan pauses taking a breath. “Most of us also learn our native language alongside basic, and a few other languages besides, when we’re in the Creche. That likely contributes to it as well.” Obi-Wan tilts his head, remembering.

“When I was your age, still an initiate, I asked a very similar question of a Young Padawan Windu.” Obi-wan tells him and smiles when Anakin makes a face; trying to do age calculations. “And he said to me something interesting. He said ‘I think that many Jedi make sure their accents develop as a way to honor where they came from.’ Then in typical Mace fashion, he wondered off, mysteriously. But I’ve always liked that thought.” He says. Anakin’s frowning now, a mixture of frustrated and sad. The boy still projected his emotions everywhere he went.

“But I don’t really want to honor where I came from.” Anakin says unhappily and Obi-wan looks the boy over, feeling a little helpless. He takes a deep breath and for a moment everything smells earth and green before it’s gone again. It gives him an idea.

“Well, in your case, perhaps don’t honor the place. Honor the people there. Those with accents like yours. Those you cared for.” Obi-wan didn’t know their names, and he needed to learn, but today was not the day to deal with attachments(Obi-wan wasn’t keen on depriving the boy of anything, honestly). Anakin would be thinking of the names. Obi-wan smiles when Anakin starts to smile and looks up at Obi-wan.

“Okay… I like that.” He says and then he hops up off the couch, “I can I go down to the hanger?” He asks him.

“Of course, Anakin. Make sure not to start helping until they let you this time though?” Obi-wan offers with small smirk.

Anakin just shrugs carelessly. “But I made it better.” He says and heads out the door. “See you at dinner, Master.”

“Always on the move.” Obi-wan mutters to himself and then finds himself thinking of his own accent. He could barely remember his parents, his brother. But were their accents like his? For some reason… he couldn’t being their voices to mind at all. He looks around the room and all all of his, and Qui-Gon’s(he couldn’t box it up yet, he kept trying), and now Anakin’s things and feels terribly alone.

Ahhhhh Lace this is lovely!!!!