a small child, bouncing with all the energy of the Techo Fanatic himself in past years. The bow on the little Kacheek's head bobbed as she shrieked and pointed, much to the embarrassment of her two friends.
"Guys, guys! It's really him! It's that Techo!"
Boy and the Fanatic exchanged glances. After more than ten years of making unrealistic amounts of noise, the two had figured that the Fanatic would indeed garner some fame, if not a sort of reputation, but this reaction almost made him seem like a celebrity.
At the very least, the child's reaction made him *feel* like a celebrity, warming the Techo's core almost as much as the Month of Relaxing's sun warmed his skin.
Not for the first time that day, the Techo was rendered speechless.
"Please!" the small Kacheek cried out, rushing towards the two. "Would you sign my gauntlet?"
She strained, hauling a previously unseen Yooyuball gauntlet that was several sizes too big for her, making the Techo Fanatic chuckle.
"Of course!" exclaimed the chauffeur, handing the Fanatic a pen.
"Tilly, would you give it up? We've been over this!" the larger of her two Kacheek friends pouted, his paws on his hips. "I mean, yeah, he's dressed the part, but how do you know this Techo's the real thing?"
The Techo Fanatic's throat turned to sandpaper at this.
"Yeah!" the smallest Kacheek piped up. "For all we know, he could be an impasta!"
The largest Kacheek rolled his eyes. "It's imPOSTOR. We've also been over this."
Tilly's excited tail went limp as doubt crossed her features for the first time, extinguishing the Techo's smile as well.
"There's only one way he can prove who he really is," continued the largest Kacheek in the group, thoughtfully tapping a paw to his chin. "He's just gotta make some noise."
All three Kacheeks, and the Moehog, stared at him. Watching. Waiting.
The Techo Fanatic felt panic pulse beneath his skin. It was one thing to regain his voice to do what he was born to do in front of hundreds of Neopets, but in front of so few Neopets...the task seemed monumental, even *without* the voice problems in the past day!
Nonetheless, he knew he had to try, and not for his own sake this time.
The Techo took a deep breath...
How will this story end?
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