"Alternian is a lot like that, really," he said. It was so strangely comforting to hear someone speaking in sounds that were familiar, even if some of them weren't ones trolls used. "More chirping and hissing, less hooting and growling, but the same general idea. I speak it with Karkat, sometimes -- Karkat. I should tell you about Karkat."

Warn him about Karkat, more like.

"Karkat is also my moirail. And he may be a little prickly at you at first, because he's young and possessive and just prickly in general."