text; un: 0123

[scension]

Those of you with familiars, I have a question - how do you name them? Did it give you any trouble?
What happens if they don't like it?

It doesn't feel like naming a pet, or some future family member. Waiting for inspiration to strike hasn't worked yet.
And now I'm starting to feel like I have to give this phone a name, too.

Comments

[disasdeer]

Oh. Wow. What is it?

[ He -- thinks it looks like an actual monster. ]

[scension]

A kind of monster from the same world as me.

[So, you know, full points for accuracy. Don't mind Sagi remaining evasive about what its species is even called.]

He's harmless here, but it's hard to really talk to him. He just goes along with most anything.
Hence the problem, I guess.

[disasdeer]

I should have figured. It's a bit freaky looking. Honestly, if that's the case, just call him whatever you want. Maybe make a joke about what his species is.

[scension]

[Oh no, how could withholding every detail about what his naming mental block comes from have backfired like this?]

I can't. Sorry.

[disasdeer]

Why's that?

I mean you could always do something generic. Bob, Fred, Frank, Steve.

[scension]

Generic pet names?

[Those all look bizarre and cutesy enough to be pet names, as far as he knows... Ugh, OK. Maybe he has no one else to blame if he doesn't try to explain the issue without getting too personal.]

The main problem is - this is a type of monster that used to be a person. I just don't know who, and he probably doesn't remember.
So the idea of giving him a cute name, or a joke name, doesn't sit well with me. That's what makes it difficult.

[disasdeer]

Like zombies? Well...maybe something generic is good, then.

[scension]

[Is his familiar a zombie? This gives Sagi a moment of minor crisis before he can start typing again. Technically, part of it can be considered undead... but the comparison makes his head hurt. Ugh, whatever.]

Yeah, maybe a short and sweet real person's name is best. Not disrespectful, but not assuming too much.
Thank you for the input! All of it helps. I really didn't have any ideas.

[disasdeer]

Yeah. People managed to get some strange familiars here.

[scension]

I hadn't seen many that couldn't pass as run-of-the-mill monsters, but I believe it. Everything on this island is strange.

[disasdeer]

I mean, I see people talk about having things that would have eaten them at home or something.

[scension]

They channel magic for us, or something along those lines, right? I figure it would be weirder to make a familiar out of a domestic animal that couldn't already use it.

[And wild animal is just another term for monster, obviously.]

[disasdeer]

They do. They pretty much are like your best ally when it comes to magic. But...it doesn't seem that weird to me.

I guess it depends on what you consider domestic animals, though. Mine is a dog.

[ It's really nothing like a domestic dog, but he doesn't fully get that part of it. So... ]

[scension]

True. I don't think we have those where I'm from.

[Wolves, sure. Wildcats, plenty. Dogs... the name isn't nearly close enough to the word "fluffpup" for him to draw any connection.]

[disasdeer]

...You don't have dogs? Really?

[scension]

We might just call them something different. I've been running into that a lot.
What do they look like?

[disasdeer]

They have --

Wait.

[ Attaches a pic of his familiar. For ease. ]

Like this.

[scension]

I see! I think we call those wolves.
Though the ears are more like fluffpup ears.

[disasdeer]

My [ best ] good friend is a wolf. He's definitely a pretty different type of canine from a wolf.

[scension]

That's pretty interesting... They look so similar.
I wonder how long it normally takes to get used to the animals in different worlds or time periods.

[He would rather ponder that than his familiar, for sure.]

[disasdeer]

In some ways. The shape of their muzzles are slightly different, their ears, just the demeanor, too. I'm personally not used to the animals here.

[ Decides to clarify. ]

I'm a deer, though.