“No, I’m not — you’re speaking my language, as far as I can tell, Orro ... ?”

“... I-I am? That doesn’t —” He suddenly puts one of those big hands up to his mouth. “H-how am I — w-what —” He seems a bit distressed, then says something I don’t understand at all in what is definitely not the language he was speaking a moment ago.

There’s a long pause, then he starts ... testing something?

“I’m speaking ... Aiam spikeng ... I say ... Ai sei ... o-okay, that’s ... r-really strange ...” Every other thing he says is in that same weird language. I guess that’s how he normally sounds ... ?

“I don’t understand.” It feels kind of silly to say out loud.

“I-I think ... somehow, I’m ... i-if I think about it I can talk normally — laik zes — but ... i-if I don’t, I’m speaking your language. I-I didn’t notice until you pointed it out ... this is really weird ...”

“Well ...” That is really weird. I can tell he’s mildly distressed about it, but I have no idea how you comfort someone whose native language has been partially overwritten by ... space magic or whatever is going on here. “... at least we can talk to each other this way?”

“... t-that’s true.” He pauses again. “Um ... I ... m-maybe you should go on and see those other subjects. I ... feel a little bit ... I-I think I should lay down for a while.”

“... are you sure you want to be alone?” He definitely seems shaken.

“I-I’m ... not, completely, but ... I-I’m sure I’ll be alright in a bit. I just ... t-this is ...” He trails off. “L-look, just, um ... c-come check on me later. I think I j-just need to let myself process some of this ...”

I feel pretty bad leaving him here, but he’s also actively telling me to do so, which I wouldn’t have thought he was even capable of five minutes ago. Maybe he really does just need a little time. ... Like when I was lying on the floor.

Um, anyway. If I do decide I’m okay with that, I ... guess I should probably pick another subject ... and brace myself ...

——

Quest thread can be found here. If you want to participate you should post suggestions over there. Art is by  ourhero.