i hate the rule against dangling prepositions omg.

[quigonejinn]

Obi-Wan did not associate any particular smell with Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon did not have a particular type of soap or shampoo that he favored; he was a Jedi, after all, one that spent almost all of his time on foreign planets and strange climates. He washed with whatever was on hand and would get him reasonably clean. In fact, the Temple laundered Jedi robes in a soap that was deliberately formulated to be scentless to 473 of the 476 species represented in the Jedi -- what was pleasant to one species might be deathly revolting to another, after all.

Qui-Gon had also told Obi-Wan that his old master had taken it one step further: he had a habit of treating the robes that he and Qui-Gon used with a compound that masked their scents. After all, a Jedi could control his metabolic processes so that he did emit pheremones, but it took attention, practice. A divided attention could be dangerous; it was not always possible to achieve it even with practice. Scent was so deeply ingrained onto near-humanoid bodies that it was almost impossible to eliminate.

"And my master is even taller than I am," Qui-Gon had said. "It is not easy for men our size to find places to hide."

Qui-Gon had been smiling with both his eyes and his mouth, and the surrounding conversation hadn't been particularly humorous, so Obi-Wan knew, just knew, that there was a funny story behind all this.

Qui-Gon chose not to share it, though, and after a while, Obi-Wan got over his urge to know. It was a remarkably beautiful night on Kittra. They could hear the night insects through the building walls, and after another half hour or so, Qui-Gon unfolded himself from the low table where they had been drinking tea and studying. He opened up the windows that ran along the side of the room so that the smell of the garden outside came pouring through, and he stood by the windows with his hands clasped behind his back.

In a way, it was an odd position for Qui-Gon to use. Obi-Wan supposed that it came from thinking of old times and other planets; he supposed, too, that it was a little odd for Qui-Gon to speak of his master so familiarly and affectionately, yet never go to visit him or search for him while they were laying over at the Temple in between missions.

It was all right, though. Obi-Wan had another sip of his tea, which had gone almost completely cool, and turned back to his studying. Qui-Gon had his past, his Master, his own memories of smell, but he was Obi-Wan's master now. Obi-Wan had the tea, the table, exercises to go through. The smell of jacinth flower and catchone vine coming through the windows.

After this, they would go to bed, and if Obi-Wan woke in the night, he would hear his master's breathing across the room. He would smell the garden outside, remember that they had negotiations tomorrow together, and it had taken him years for him to become sure in this realization since Qui-Gon never seemed to want to share his past, but Obi-Wan now knew that he had the present with Qui-Gon. He was sure, too, that he would have the future.

Comments

[a-blue-moon-cat.livejournal.com]

Fascinating! I use non-perfume laundry soap myself, so what a thought that the Jedi would, but it makes perfect sense. (Thought for the moment: does the Temple use droids for housekeeping chores like the washing and drying of Jedi robes?)

And lovely. Dooku is tall, isn't he? I like the picture you paint. :)