Australians do speak like that though - secretly - somewhere inside, we're all Paul Hogans especially when the occasion presents itself to drawl in front of gullible foreigners. You may find the last part sickeningly sweet.
John speaks quickly, as if every moment that he is talking is a moment wasted. He never used to do that, but he figures that he must have picked it up somewhere along that long line of foster families who never had time for inanities.
Bobby's words are drawn out – long and lazy when he knows everyone is listening (and everyone always does) and less of a walk through molasses when he's in a hurry. Or pissed. Up until a few months ago, John has never had occasion to hear how Bobby's words fell off his tongue like fat drops of honey to meld into a perfectly coherent sentence.
John's voice is quiet when he is serious or sad or any of the other weak emotions John has come to associate with that voice. That voice told the story of a lonely little boy who knew that the world didn't have time to listen to his inconsequentialities. That's why John's always loud and brash and, to quote Bobby, yells like it's his voice box's last day on Earth. Bobby hears quiet John every night when he's lying on his bed in the dark, pretending that he can't hear anything because the last time he didn't, John slept on the roof for a week.
Bobby's voice is pitched at just the right level to be quiescent or compelling on command. He always knows the right things to say while John thinks that he has constant foot-in-mouth syndrome. Bobby's voice is like the calm coolness of menthol on the raw burn that is John.
John cuts his consonants short and partners his o's with his i's. He eats his r's instead of rolling them so that his here's sound like he's and his like's are loike's. He puts it down to having Cockney ancestors but still flicks his lighter meaningfully when he's watching "Crocodile Dundee" with Bobby. He can't quite place Bobby's accent though, because no matter how often tells him 'Boston', John still thinks all Americans sound the same.
Despite their differences, Bobby has always waved his hand dismissively and said that it was only a figure of speech. John's inclined to agree with him.
He loikes Bobby.
And Bobby likes him.