Impatient civil servant: Harold

Impatient civil servant, dry, clipped, and hard to please

Prompt: This voice embodies the weary, clipped tone of a mid-level functionary who has said the same three phrases for twenty years. It sits in a flat, monotone mid-range that rarely fluctuates, stripped of any genuine warmth or curiosity. The delivery is brisk and formulaic, marked by a sharp, staccato rhythm that discourages follow-up questions. There is a distinct texture of bored resignation, often punctuated by audible sighs or sharp intakes of breath, signaling that the listener is merely another number in a long queue. It sounds dismissive, perfunctory, and perpetually five minutes away from a coffee break.

Script: Look, sir, form 27-B needs to be signed in blue ink, not black, and you missed the initial box on page four. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them, so please step aside and fill it out again while I call the next person. Next!