Hi, Keisha
Kind of a second moment of feedback response, on this one. Original draft was Amanda intercepting Selkie here, but Keisha's absence form screen time was mentioned on Friday's comments, and while I had bene intending to work some Keisha and Heather time into the scene while we're in the school setting anyway, it occured to me that this would be a good moment for it. Won't change the end result any.
Welp. At least Keisha ain’t making fun of her.
Hey, at least she’s trying. I think her motivation is to get the HELL away from the Mor’Kama– but hey, whatever sinks your boat.
Maybe… I have a different take… She has been told she is an Echo, she has some powers (though very weak) and is confident she will one day be like the other Echos (and her mom). But the Mor’Kama who are supposed to know Echos… don’t know her. I think its shaking her, and working on correcting her speech is something she can focus on other than that.
At the moment all she can do is make her eyes glow. The fact that Mor’Kama can’t pick up on it. (And let’s assume it’s something that requires training the two Mor’Kama we’ve met may be of the priestly caste but are definitely not priests.) shows Mom’s bow did the damage it was intended to do.
If the response of children is to question if Selkie is “okay” for talking “normal,” then that’s more evidence that the speech classes she didn’t want to take are solely for the benefit of adults around her.
Lol, yea, but it will also be to her benefit once she becomes an adult.
Its hardly an impediment and it sounds cute *now*, but it will become awkward once she gets older. Better to get it out of the way now, while its probably free, than later when she actually has to pay for a speech therapist.
The reason to take speach classes is to correct some flaw in one’s way of speaking or to learn to talk without(or with) an accent.
There are two primary reasons for this: BEcuase one suffers a speach impediment that renders their speach unclear.
And because one wants to.
There has been a single incident of confusing “sicks” for “six.” Literally, every other incident where selkie is speaking to someone has involved Selkie being understood perfectly.
Ergo, the only reason for Selkie to take speech classes is if she wants to be able to talk better, and Selkie is demonstrably fine with the way she speaks and does not want to talk “normal.”
She should have the right to talk the way she wants to, and by forcing her to take speech classes that right is not being respected.
And if it’s a neurological quirk that makes her use extra Ss(the only ‘impediment she’s demonstrated,) then there’s no point in having a speech class–she doesn’t need to learn how to make certain sounds. She would just need to practice consciously withholding the extra plurals. She already has everything she needs and can now practice on her own later when she decides on her own(if she decides on her own.)
Honestly, Pohl could have explained all of this. The lesson was completely superfluous.
I think how it was described as “therapy” at some point in the comic and in the comment sections led to some unnecessary complications: this is basically ESL classes, and as someone who once took part in such classes, I wouldn’t consider it a “right” to be kept away from this opportunity – which is precisely the opportunity to learn techniques that can help her practice on her own should she wants to, as you described. In that the lessons do have value. And unless the adults around her start to police her every sentence (which would be unproductive, annoying and even demeaning), she would still have the right to talk the way she wants, the purpose of these lessons would be show that there are ways to adapt to a more neutral, native-like way of speaking, which undeniably has its benefits.
Selkie is EIGHT. It’s not her choice, it’s Todd’s. If Selkie’s DAD has decided she needs this, it’s gonna happen. Even Selkie’s doctor thinks this is a good idea.
Welcome to the wonderful world of being a parent. Not every decision you make is gonna win popularity contests.
Selkie’s doctor who is notably also sarnothi and went through the same thing.
She’s using incorrect grammar in a way that can demonstratively lead to misunderstandings, that’s a thing that should be corrected.
Also the fact that children who have known and presumably interacted with Selkie for several years can understand her speech without difficulty doesn’t mean that everyone she will come in contact with as she grows up will be able to understand her. My daughter has a classmate with a lisp. They are 9. She doesn’t tease her about it and she can understand her but the other day she told me “It’s annoying” and “Some people think she’s faking it to try and sound cute”. A mild speech impediment can have an affect on how people interact with you. We had a discussion about it and about how the other girl is getting help (speech therapy) at school to try and correct it but that right now it’s just rude bordering on bullying to point it out when she speaks.
She’s not talking “normal” in any sense; she’s clearly forcing the words out and sounding like a zombie, that’s what’s worrying Keisha.
If she’s going to exist in this society, getting rid of any speech impediments will be important, and there is no better time than now.
(I was in Selkie’s place when I was a little kid.)
Except:
1) She’s clearly NOT talking normal, there are William Shatner like pauses between each word
2) Even if she was talking “normal”, to the people who are used to the way she usually talks that would be a change and people notice change, especially like that
Also, sometimes kids have to do things they don’t like but their parents have good reason to believe are for their benefit. Like eat vegetables, or take music classes, or speech therapy. It’s not torture, it’s parenting and it’s part of life. Kids who are allowed to just do what they want? Yeah that doesn’t usually end well.
David, that was wicked funny, I roared. If-we-could-meet–other-cultures-and–show-them–we–come–in-peace. You are so right about the Shatner voice!
She’s trying and I think shell make good progress.
I still wonder about Tehk, if he’s a love interest, or irritant, or antagonist, or just a hired help for Mandy’s pogrom against Selkie?
Oh no, Selkie created android clones of herself and is starting her global conquest.
+1
+2
Ms. Afkhami, Ms. Afkhami! I think Selkie’s broken!
Selkie used Speech Session on Keisha! Keisha became confused!
I don’t think it’s the lack of plurals that’s creeping out Keisha. It’s the fact that in order to do it Selkie is talking slowly and probably affecting a monotone.
On that note has it been addressed what Selkie and the other Sarnothi actually sound like? I don’t want to throw around words like nasal, but the absence of an of an outer nose invites questions about a Sarnothi nasal cavity and what that would do to their voices. Also, I would assume having evolved to communicate underwater would lean towards the higher register (think Splash without the broken glass.)
How sarnothi voices sound hasn’t really been directly addressed. I see them as being slightly huskier than human voices, maybe a little grittier. For example, I kind of think when she grows up Selkie would sound similar to Elle King (or similar to her singing voice anyway).
As long as she doesn’t sound like Rod Stuart or Bob Dylan, I think we can live with that.