Selkie doesn’t have experience with sarnothi written language and she’s not fourth-wall enough to read her own speech bubbles.
Tried to re-create the way young me used to draw and write for this page, including the use of actual ballpoint pen and notebook paper and holding the pen in the really ham-fisted way young me held it.
That is so cute how Selkie spelled out her true name and went through the thought process of discerning the meanings of each. X3
I like the alligator smile in the last panel.
But I don’t see her closer to a name – they both have pros and cons – unless she chooses both? But how? Or neither…
I wonder if Selkie/Nei Li will take her own life and experiences into account in the pros and cons list.
Selkie Li?
Or Nei Kie?
…
wait…
Her dilemma is somewhat more complex than I first realized, or what she might see. If she decides she is Selkie, she is taking the name given to her by her adoptive home, but honoring the name that represents returning to her biological family.
Nei Li is the name given by her biological family, yet represents wanting to be free from their control (from the story of the maiden).
I wonder how the attitude shift in the last two panels will affect her interactions with the kids in school. Particularly, Truck. Being “like this” but also “this” … as Pohl’s wife said… Big Smile.
Four options:
1. Selkie
2. Neigh Lee
3. a portmanteau of 1 & 2
4. something new
Behold the future philologist!
She’s still going to go with “Dr. Zombietar” or something like that in the end.
So cute…
I like how you subtly informed the reader of the correct pronunciation of Nei Li. I had been wondering.
Ya know, I’m kinda depressed by how long it took me to figure out what you were going for with the “Horses and Civil Wars”. My first though was that it was some sort of “i before e” thing. Maybe “Horses and Generals?” I dunno. weird.
Can you explain the “civil war” to me? I figured that “horses” referred to the “neigh” sound in the name, but all I can get for “civil war” is “Nelly” (as in an old school name), and that doesn’t seem right.
Guessing it refers to General Lee
Robert E. Lee
Selkie is very astute for a girl her age. I can understand a girl that’s been through what she’s been through knowing about love and pain. This makes perfect sense. What impresses me is that she can write it down and vocalize it so well. She wants to be a mad scientist, very well, she’s certainly smart enough to be one. And mature enough to avoid the pitfalls therein.
Too cute, Dave:) But also very deep, Selkie.
Prediction: “Nellie”.
Selkie Nei Lee
Nothing wrong with having one as a first and the other as a middle name