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Sweety Drops
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“Greetings,” my throat warbles out. “I’m pleased to meet you. Call me Gkh’gkh.” ow ow ow this really hurts “It is merely a nickname, but to introduce myself properly and give you my full name would require the use of an artificial voicebox, as my species lacks vocalization organs and I’m not sure how to pronounce it using yours.”
“What are you on about now, Tamsin?” William asks, looking over for the first time. He sees me getting strangled and pauses, his angry expression softening into confusion. “Oh.” He scratches his chin, apparently unsure of what to do here.
You and me both, William!
“I apologize for having to utilize this rather primitive method of communicating with a vocalizing species, but my artificial voicebox was stolen from me,” my borrowed throat gargles on. “I attempted to ask for help recovering it, but I’m afraid my efforts to engage in this form of speech were mistaken for acts of violence, and I was imprisoned here.”
This really hurts!
“You’re very well-spoken,” muses William.
“Thank you,” Gkh’gkh says, via usual medium of my own aching throat. “I am a diplomatic ambassador. Eloquence and familiarity with high space society’s sesquipedalian prolixity is, of course, a necessity.”
I tug weakly at their limb, because every syllable is tearing at my throat and I would really like this to stop now, but also I don’t want to hurt them. Too bad I can’t say anything. Ow!
“Ah, yes. Tamsin, I’m sorry to hear about your strange belief that you are cursed, as you seem kindly and gentle,” Gkh’gkh continues. “While I appreciate what I can only surmise to be your amateur attempts at flirting, I regret to inform you that I am not royalty, as my people do not believe in such forms of hierarchy, and do not have genetic lineage regardless. We reproduce through parthenogenesis. My apologies, and I wish you luck in finding a romantic partner.”
With that, they finally let go of my throat. I’m free!
“Shorter… sentences…” I say, voice huskier and scratchier than it’s ever been in my life. “Please.”
Gkh’gkh nods thoughtfully, retracting their limbs back under their cloak.
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