The most beautiful voice I’d ever heard in my life emanated from the elegant fellow standing in front of me. He wore what looked like a… costume suit from the Edwardian era? He must do some sort of theater.
Timaeus
Wow… Oh! I know a little German. Ich… spreche ein bisschen Deutsch?
My miserable pronunciation apparently amused him– he smiled and pushed his glasses back up his nose. I subsconsiously did the same.
Siegfried
Not horrible, for an Amerikaner.
His Japanese was just as heavily accented as my German was to him. He spoke slowly and deliberately, and his voice… Oh, I could listen to him read a phone book.
Siegfried
I am Siegfried Iskandar. The Ultimate… Operatic Tenor, is what Hope’s Peak Academy calls me.
Timaeus
Siegfried? Like the ancient German folk hero? You’re practically fated to do opera with a name like that.
Siegfried
I suppose that is so. What is your name?
Timaeus
Timaeus Woodworth, I’m the Ultimate Librarian. Nice to meet you…?
I held my hand out for a handshake, but he was too busy glancing around the room.
Siegfried
Herr Woodworth. Do you know where we are?
Timaeus
N-no?
Siegfried
Hm.
With that glowing repartee, he wandered off. Hopefully the next person wouldn’t be quite so dismissive…?
Ishi
Hey!
What the hell man, you don't leave a bro hangin' like that!
Oh boy.
Timaeus
Ishi, he doesn’t have to shake my hand if he doesn’t want to!
Siegfried
And I do not have to take orders from some Mädchen in a swimsuit–
Ishi
What did he call me???
Timaeus
He just called you a girl! Mädchen means girl!!
Ishi
Well he still doesn’t get t’say a word about my fashion sense wearin' that Victorian-ass clown suit!
Siegfried
What– do I look like I
want
to wear this– diese verfluchten Lappen–
His voice cracked into a higher octave as he grew more frustrated– already proving his Ultimate title. Even his speaking voice had more range than my singing one.
Siegfried
–I do not even know where the hell I am much less what I’m wearing and I just want to get out of this gottverdammt place so leave me the hell alone!!
Ishi was about to retort but I elbowed her with as much force as I could muster (it probably felt like getting hit with a popsicle stick.)
Timaeus
Ishi stop it!! Can’t you see he’s scared? And it’s Edwardian, not Victorian.
Siegfried
I-I am not scared,Herr Woodworth…
Timaeus
Yes you are, we’re all scared, okay? But we’re not gonna get anything done until we stop screaming at each other! Ishi, apologize for bickering at him, okay?
Ishi
Only if he apologizes for being a rude-ass binch!
Siegfried
Look, Fräulein, I am sorry for not feeling particularly comfortable talking to strangers when I have just been abducted! Or do you not realize the gravity of the situation?
He tried to force himself back into stoic composure, but he was pretty shaken up by, well, everything.
Ishi
…
Timaeus
… There, some peace and quiet! Isn’t that better?
Ishi
No.
Siegfried
Nein.
Timaeus
Okay… let’s move on, then. Sorry for the trouble, Siegfried.
He nodded sharply as I dragged Ishi away to go talk to the others. I should’ve known something like this would happen– of course tempers would be running high. Ishi had a shorter fuse than most, I knew that already, but… seems like I should keep an eye on Siegfried, too.
And now we had someone who didn’t even recognize the clothes they wore. What could that mean?
