Work Text:
Hoaxe had no name.
He also had no concept of the sort, so he didn't mind much.
“Names” were pictures in charcoal to tell him about other things. Plenty of things had that sort of name.
He didn't, though. He had no need of one.
He hadn’t considered that these other bugs he'd found might try to give him one, though, and try they did. Whatever they'd decided on wasn't a name he could use, though – it was some strange jumble of sounds instead.
Not that it mattered, it was for their use, not his.
…He assumed it was a name, at least. They seemed pleased when he responded to it, at any rate, and only used it when they wanted his attention.
He thought, though he wasn't sure, that they might have other names for him, but he could never quite tell.
Most of them made do with a wave anyways.
—◃◈▹—
He had never spoken his sound-name before.
This was proving to be an oversight, a mistake, and a considerable inconvenience, because there were four bugs staring at him in bewilderment, and he had a distinct hunch that an introduction might help.
Unfortunately, the sound-chains used by the others were not something he knew how to use, and while pictures usually got the point across for other things, they didn't exactly work here.
The bugs didn't smell like these lands, either – they smelled strange, walked strange, looked strange, and had strange noise-jumbles and sound-names that were a different sort of weird from the bugs he already knew. The feeling was probably mutual, if he was being realistic. Still annoying to deal with. He rolled his eyes at their wibbly nonsense-sounds and turned towards the village. Maybe the other sound-namers could understand them.
As he began to walk, the group of four hesitated, looking between each other again. He waved his hand impatiently, hoping “follow” was at least a marginally universal gesture.
Close enough. They came with.
A growl rumbled out from the darkness, and his hand shot to his sling. The group of four immediately started making more sound, the fools–
Oh. They'd never met the dark-bugs before, had they?
…Did he have to do everything here?