Speaking in Tongues

by WatchMeSoar

Donald and his family are an interesting bunch at the best of times. They've all got rich, interesting, um. Backgrounds. Mickey sincerely wishes they were actually speaking words. OR I made a post on Tumblr about how I like to think Human!Donald Duck would have like, the thickest Bostonian accent ever when he was angry. Human!Mickey and Human!Ducks.

A/n: I have it in my head that, in a Human AU, Donald and his family spent their younger years living on the east coast before moving to the west so his parents could work with Scrooge. I just really want him to have an accent along with Scrooge and Ludwig, okay? Can you imagine those conversations?

III

Mickey was confused.

Which was fine. He'd be the first to admit (and Minne, the first to confirm) that he was sometimes a tiny bit slow on the uptake.

But this was ridiculous.

Every once in a while, Scrooge would host dinners. Nothing massive (expensive), but he'd let his family invite people over for a good time. It was very generous of him, even more so when you remembered who he was.

Mickey was also reminded, sometimes, where Donald got his temper from.

He didn't even know why they were fighting. And he was listening really hard. A glance around the table told him that no one else was particularly concerned by the bickering of Scrooge and Donald—and Ludwig this time, though he didn't raise his voice, really. He was not a McDuff, and therefore didn't have the temper. But the man was still strong-willed and opinionated, and apparently whatever the topic was, was one he felt strongly about.

But Daisy was just, nonchalantly talking to Sylvia, and Minnie was laughing at something Goofy had said. Max had brought PJ and they were telling college prank stories to Donald's nephews.

And at the other end of the table…

"Bahck en my day, Ah had tae hieeke fer miles tae earn meself a levin'…at eeght years old! They cannae joost—"

"We ain't in your day, ya old geezer! And A'll raise mah kids how I think they should—"

"Now, mein Junge, don'te fluster yourself awll up. Basides, da best way for kids ta get a head shtart is by first exurcising deir minds!—"

"What's the hahm in just lettin' 'em be kids!?"

"They'll grow tae be layabouts, thaht's the harm! Like a certain uncle o' theirs."

"Why, ya lousy…"

Accents just got thicker with emotion, apparently.

A hand on his arm startled Mickey out of his enraptured daze. "Mickey," Minnie said quietly, "are you alright?"

He looked at her, shook his head a bit, and looked back at his friend and his uncles.

"I just…have no idea."