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quigonejinnObi-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.
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Date: 2005-09-06 08:12 am (UTC)Maybe their total insanity actually makes them even more suited to each other :p I mean, who else could possibly deal with it all and understand it - no wonder their thoughts click or whatever. But yes, even without the Xanatos Incident, I think Qui-Gon would still be emotionally distant and naturally reserved and a bit tangled up. (See, his *hair* is actually a symbol for his...tangled and split-end soul. Or something.) And Obi-Wan is desperate for Qui-Gon's love/esteem/respect/attention, which he HAS, right from the start, but doesn't know it.
Have you read this passage from Legacy of the Jedi? AUGH. Guh.
to consolidate two comment streams.
Date: 2005-09-06 01:21 pm (UTC)Wow. That's an insane amount of pain, and yes, Jude Watson is so totally writing the NC-17 raunch epics under the name QuiGonsBunny or something. "Rare talkative mood." Ow. Ow, ow.
Re: the other conmment stream. I mean, it makes sense that Obi-Wan has to confront these issues. Compassion for all things, right? Total physical detachment? And there he is, just a-burnin' with rage about Anakin, probably simmering with resentment about how much his life now SUCKS, and trying to squish away the grief from seeing an entire way of life disappear. And Qui-Gon's murmuring in his ear, the one thing that's supposed to be comforting him and aiding him is, at times, nothing more than a reminder of how much Obi-Wan has fucked up.
Yeah, I know. It kind of pushes the boundaries of how vulnerable a grown-up, full-fledged Negotiator Kenobi would be, but I think that Tatooine is a situation that'd test the soul. And Obi-Wan conquers them in the end, since he is able to go ghostie.
And. By the way. I just read the fic that you've written and is in your memories section -- man oh man. I swear to God tha tI will write you a decent, proper bit of FB about each of these, but ohhhhh. Walking Towards You just breaks my heart. You have such a gift for writing about quietness.
Re: to consolidate two comment streams.
Date: 2005-09-07 11:59 pm (UTC)I'm with you on the Tatooine thing. Obi-Wan is as stoic as they come, but he's just had his whole life go to hell and he counts himself partly responsible. Then he has to go back to where it all started in the first place and learn how to give it all up. Because doing the ghost thing must involve letting go, and how hard would that be for Obi-Wan, at any stage in his life? The harder he tries the harder he seems to be holding on, sometimes, whether that's to Qui-Gon or the Jedi way or whatever.
Thanks so much re: the fic :):)