Would love to hear about the other stuff, but for PDFs, I've been using PDF Candy since getting my new computer, and so far, it's been all right. Most of its features are locked behind a paywall, though, but that just requires a one-time payment of $99 (that I have yet to make).

- Benjamin: Named after Beenjamin, whose name just kinda came to me as I was taking him home for the first time
- Yarrow: Chosen from a list of flowers that attract bees

AND OTHER CHARACTERS:
- Miryam: Named after Moses's sister
- Reuben: *Also* named after a Torah character, although his connection is looser (It was a placeholder name.)
- Albert: *Also* a placeholder name, picked at random from the list of French names on Behind the Name

AS FOR LAST NAMES:
- Martin: An incredibly common surname in literally every country Eldana is based on
- De Lepaute: prefix that implies Eleanor is from a noble house + the surname of prominent 18th-century astronomer and mathematician, Nicole-Reine Lepaute

Anyway, that's why I haven't been updating the NaNo tag. It's really been *slow* going these past couple of weeks, and I've had days where I could barely hit 1k. I'm hoping things calm down, but I might also consider trying again some other time if I still haven't finished this draft by Jan.

I have nothing planned this weekend, so maybe then I'll sit down and just slam out a bunch of words. 🤷 Maybe plant myself somewhere and just *go*.

Maybe also take a mental health day later this week.

I'm so behind with NaNo and so close to getting to St. Nadia/the zizzun colony, but I think I need a night to just go at my own pace. I probably will still pick away at words, because I *want* to keep writing every day, but like, I'm not going to blame myself if I don't make it to the daily count.

*his shitlist, not their

(Me: Listen, brain, you *do* make male OCs to serve as surrogates for your own problems and power fantasies, but Mick is cis, not nonbinary. His pronouns are he/him exclusively.

Brain: Okay, but nb rep whe—

Me: *We are halfway through draft 6. NO.*)

That said, to answer the other part of this question:

Mick: No, nobody is on their shitlist. Not even the saints. Nor Albert, who directly and routinely treats him like a dog.

Eleanor: Albert, first and foremost. She has plans. It *would* be satisfying if Mick would just have fun for once.

Congrats!!

- Technically, the above isn't *terrible* to translate, but that whole string of signs together means "Four-blossomed Flower That Blooms in the Second Sun of Summer."

- Most zizzun have two names: one in the language of the country they've adopted and the other in their own unique language. The latter is difficult to transcribe.

For example:

Benjamin: [four hands held in cups] [two-handed sign for sun + two-handed sign for grass] [two rattling tail shakes]

Important bee notes:
- Benjamin and Yarrow don't share a last name because they're related. It's actually because when zizzun choose Eldanan names, they use the name of their colony as their surnames. Other examples: Ezra Faelenvale (from the snip from the other day), Queen Lily North Eldaven, etc.

30. Full names of the main cast:
- Michael ("Mick") John Martin
- Eleanor de Lepaute (Eleanor does not have a middle name.)
- Reuben of the Tide Clan
- Benjamin St. Nadia (See next post for bee culture!)
- Miryam of the Gale Clan, Speaker of the Dragons
- Queen Yarrow St. Nadia
- Albert de Fortier

Bee people! 🐝🐝💛🖤