Language is meant to convey ideas, not to reflect reality with 100% accuracy.
These are characters in a VR simulation, presumably constituent parts of the Gavotte swarm of bees, and they presumably have suffered a psychological break.
It doesn’t matter that the etymology of Melanie isn’t correct – what matters is that the “person” behind the name THINKS it is correct, and is subconsciously projecting it onto themselves.
“Virginia got caught by the false etymology for Melanie?”
I kind of hate to be this guy but … “Actually …”
I think Ginny is talking specifically here – i.e. she’s recognising the Mel(anie)/Mel(lifera) ‘pun’ in this particular case, not claiming that they derive from the sme source.
I mean… she’s not claiming any etymology here, it’s just a pun? Like convergent evolution, words can arrive at similar sounds without having the same origin.
Considering that Virginia holds probably several doctorates, even if none of her degrees focuses directly on insects, she has quite likely taken several biology courses. And she’s a super-genius. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to make the connection between “Melanie” and “mellifera”.
For Virginia, it’s been a few hours, maybe a day or so at most, since she arrived in VR. For us, it’s well over a month, with time to think and speculate betweeen strips, while she’s been constantly busy. For another, Shaenon and Jeffrey are selecting the relevant bits to show us so we can figure out the mystery without being distracted by too much irrelevancy; Virginia has been immersed in the VR and has no narrative clues to point out which details are relevant to the mysteries of why Mr. Green doesn’t know about the beach and why the women there act oddly, and which details are just things that the VR designer thought looked cool.
The snow is mostly gone, and look at the pavement. Pavement is mostly not bees. I’m going to head over to the hospital, see if I can get this mole looked at.
Bees followed me into the car and cut the brakes. God, I might be high. Good thing it was only another mile to the hospital SHUT UP BEES I’M WRITING IN MY DIARY JOURNAL
Go to hospital
hospital is bees. Already, how? I just got here. No, wait, it’s just my glasses. My glasses were definitely bees.
I didn’t schedule an appointment or anything, but the nurse called a panic team or whatever it is and they ran me to a doctor. How thoughtful, but it’s really not an emergency. I really just need them to look at a mole. Except that the mole is bees.
The doctors looked at me and said they didn’t see anything wrong. Well, of course there’s nothing wrong, except the bees. And the bleeding, but that’s to be expected from beestings. They argued for a while, and then sent me away.
Given her previously established love of tiki statues and tropical decorations, Gavotte’s little prison being a beach town would actually be appropriate.
“The only one whose name doesn’t make sense is little Bea!”
This is totally me, the person who read the American Gods preview and instantly knew who Mr Wednesday was, but didn’t have a forking clue who “Low Key Lyesmith” was until hearing Gaiman read it outloud days later.
Why would they have avatars which look human except for having compound eyes, though? I realise they may not have chosen their avatars, but someone will have done.
Ok, all of the “bee” characters we’ve met have had specific necessary traits (strength, impetuousness). What trait would Mayor Queen bring to the party? And if they film this, would it be a bee movie with bee-list actors?
Every healthy, reproducing hive has to have a queen. In Gavotte’s case, her queen is probably the central director of the gestalt entity. That mansion isn’t a house, it’s a prison – lock Gavotte’s queen away so she can’t reform her full personality in VR.
Beatrix = bee + a + trix, or tricks
Apis = Ape + is = a copy
Queen Mayor => Mayor rhymes with Mere, French for Mother,
and also mer, French for ocean (hence the beach)
So poor Gavotte or Pavanne (or both) got fragmented? I guess that makes sense– kinda hard to upload *one* part of a gestalt entity. Me, I’m allergic to bees and mortally terrified of them but I feel amazingly sorry for whoever she/they are– one bee doesn’t survive, alone.
Hmmm…. If Dr. Lee can extract a human brain and keep it living happily in a VR, I wonder if she could extract a lot of little tiny bee brains (perhaps keeping them in little jars)… but I’m distracting myself… ANYway, could she revise/rewire the VR to bee more supportive of the hive mind?
BEES
BEES
BEES?
Geez, Virginia, you caught up to jennibrock from six weeks ago.
I, of course, continue my magnificent losing streak.
Waitaminnit. Virginia got caught by the false etymology for Melanie?
I mean, there are non-obvious variants on the name Melissa (Melitta, Melina), if you want to hint at “bee” but not be as obvious as “Melissa” is.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/melia/tree
But nooooo….
You don’t like Melanie/mellifera but you’re okay with Beatrix/bee?
At this point, I am throwing up my hands (or all six legs) in etymological and entomological despair.
Language is meant to convey ideas, not to reflect reality with 100% accuracy.
These are characters in a VR simulation, presumably constituent parts of the Gavotte swarm of bees, and they presumably have suffered a psychological break.
It doesn’t matter that the etymology of Melanie isn’t correct – what matters is that the “person” behind the name THINKS it is correct, and is subconsciously projecting it onto themselves.
“Virginia got caught by the false etymology for Melanie?”
I kind of hate to be this guy but … “Actually …”
I think Ginny is talking specifically here – i.e. she’s recognising the Mel(anie)/Mel(lifera) ‘pun’ in this particular case, not claiming that they derive from the sme source.
I mean… she’s not claiming any etymology here, it’s just a pun? Like convergent evolution, words can arrive at similar sounds without having the same origin.
Considering that Virginia holds probably several doctorates, even if none of her degrees focuses directly on insects, she has quite likely taken several biology courses. And she’s a super-genius. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to make the connection between “Melanie” and “mellifera”.
….oh
OH.
And here lies a slowpoke.
For Virginia, it’s been a few hours, maybe a day or so at most, since she arrived in VR. For us, it’s well over a month, with time to think and speculate betweeen strips, while she’s been constantly busy. For another, Shaenon and Jeffrey are selecting the relevant bits to show us so we can figure out the mystery without being distracted by too much irrelevancy; Virginia has been immersed in the VR and has no narrative clues to point out which details are relevant to the mysteries of why Mr. Green doesn’t know about the beach and why the women there act oddly, and which details are just things that the VR designer thought looked cool.
I’M COVERED IN BEES
Dammit, you beat me to it.
I want to walk in my fathers footsteps.
And those steps were “AAAAAAAAH, I’M COVERED IN BEEEES!”
I like my seaside resort towns like I like my sweetened tea… COVERED IN BEES!
“It still needs more honey.” -Bialosky Stays Home
(Children’s book references are always on-topic here, right?)
OMG, I love that book. I have it from when I was a kid and read it to my kids. Great catch.
Brains!
Beauty! And she won’t take
Bee Poop off anybody!
Dr. Lee YOU are the woman!
It sure looks like Mrs Apis doesn’t know that she’s bees. In fact, she seems to be shutting Virginia out while she’s having her epiphany.
Sudden notion: Has Gavotte been successfully treated with the Cure, and that’s why her components aren’t integrating?
It’s possible, but I think it’s more likely that the VR simply suppresses hive-intelligence.
It’s also likely that they might be drugged. Otherwise putting all the little helmets on them would be a nightmare.
What a terrible and yet strangely adorable mental image
The snow is mostly gone, and look at the pavement. Pavement is mostly not bees. I’m going to head over to the hospital, see if I can get this mole looked at.
Bees followed me into the car and cut the brakes. God, I might be high. Good thing it was only another mile to the hospital SHUT UP BEES I’M WRITING IN MY
DIARYJOURNALGo to hospital
hospital is bees. Already, how? I just got here. No, wait, it’s just my glasses. My glasses were definitely bees.
I didn’t schedule an appointment or anything, but the nurse called a panic team or whatever it is and they ran me to a doctor. How thoughtful, but it’s really not an emergency. I really just need them to look at a mole. Except that the mole is bees.
The doctors looked at me and said they didn’t see anything wrong. Well, of course there’s nothing wrong, except the bees. And the bleeding, but that’s to be expected from beestings. They argued for a while, and then sent me away.
It’s bees all the way down.
Only slightly modified, I’m told my scansion is always off. Thought it was kind of fitting.
She was a working girl
Anasigma way
Now she’s hit the V.R.
In the U.S.A.
And if she could only hear me
This is what I’d say.
Honey pie, you are making me crazy
I’m in love but I’m lazy
So won’t you please come home.
Oh honey pie, my position is tragic
Come and show me the magic
Of your Hollywood song.
You became a legend of the silver screen
And now the thought of meeting you
Makes me weak in the knee*.
Oh honey pie, you are driving me frantic
Sail across the Atlantic
To be where you belong.
Will the wind that blew her boat
Across the sea
Kindly send her sailing back to me.
Honey pie, you are making me crazy
I’m in love but I’m lazy
So won’t you please come home.
*) bee’s ~
I love you right now.
I like it. I’ll put off my own efforts till tomorrow. (I was gonna anyway.)
Oh my god. Bees.
This is Gavotte’s “daughter”, isn’t it?
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Gavotte herself
Or worse: each “beach dweller” a separate swarm
Given her previously established love of tiki statues and tropical decorations, Gavotte’s little prison being a beach town would actually be appropriate.
“The only one whose name doesn’t make sense is little Bea!”
This is totally me, the person who read the American Gods preview and instantly knew who Mr Wednesday was, but didn’t have a forking clue who “Low Key Lyesmith” was until hearing Gaiman read it outloud days later.
If it makes you feel better, I didn’t realize WHILE READING THE BOOK until very, very late in the book. Yep. I’m that person, too.
My worst wordplay-obliviousness was when I didn’t get that Kreacher (Harry Potter) was “creature.” :/
Glad to know I’m not the only one
Perhaps the sunglasses hide the multifaceted eyes?
Suspicions confirmed.
They’re all girls, too.
Why would they have avatars which look human except for having compound eyes, though? I realise they may not have chosen their avatars, but someone will have done.
Might be the VR system can’t keep the swarm’s core identity from bleeding through the code.
Heh. They “patched” the code error with sunglasses.
Any bee’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in beekind. Therefore send not to know for whom the hive buzzes, it buzzes for three.
Ok, all of the “bee” characters we’ve met have had specific necessary traits (strength, impetuousness). What trait would Mayor Queen bring to the party? And if they film this, would it be a bee movie with bee-list actors?
Every healthy, reproducing hive has to have a queen. In Gavotte’s case, her queen is probably the central director of the gestalt entity. That mansion isn’t a house, it’s a prison – lock Gavotte’s queen away so she can’t reform her full personality in VR.
If there is no Queen, the workers will create one. True.
Beatrix = bee + a + trix, or tricks
Apis = Ape + is = a copy
Queen Mayor => Mayor rhymes with Mere, French for Mother,
and also mer, French for ocean (hence the beach)
Only one man can fix an identity crisis like this. Somebody needs to get Phil on the horn.
So poor Gavotte or Pavanne (or both) got fragmented? I guess that makes sense– kinda hard to upload *one* part of a gestalt entity. Me, I’m allergic to bees and mortally terrified of them but I feel amazingly sorry for whoever she/they are– one bee doesn’t survive, alone.
Hmmm…. If Dr. Lee can extract a human brain and keep it living happily in a VR, I wonder if she could extract a lot of little tiny bee brains (perhaps keeping them in little jars)… but I’m distracting myself… ANYway, could she revise/rewire the VR to bee more supportive of the hive mind?
NOT THE BEES! NOT THE BEEEEEES
singing “vikings and bee keepers, vikings and bee keepers”
all those little tiny vr helms must have horns