Sigh. My new slug-colored potential-friend creature did not fall over. He did seem a bit perplexed though, what with his face pinched up thoughtfully and all. I assumed that this was because he was sitting, and not standing. Standing two-legs were surely easy to topple. Results; inconclusive. Disappointing.

He was saying words now. Repeated, pointed at himself. Wait...

Neh. Vahn.

I twitched my ears in disbelief. His name? I couldn’t help but gasp when I understood. Ahh! Now we were getting somewhere. It seemed a reasonable length — the short version of his true name, I supposed. The half-true.

“Neh’vahn,” I pronounced, pointing to him and nodding slowly. He smiled back, a measured movement. In turn, I pointed to myself and gave him my half-true name. “Moff. Et. Moffit.” The end was normally pronounced with a strong click, but this new gurgly-bitch language didn’t seem to use such a thing, so I toned it down a little. “Neh’vahn, Moffit.”

Nodnod.