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"The Weatherman" Additions

I was kind of uncreative when naming the NPCs in "The Weatherman". So I decided to do what apparently experienced Manga artists do: I picked a language, translated individual words and smushed them together to make names. It worked better than I thought. I loved it!

I used Google Translate because when it translates into foreign languages that use a different writing system, it includes the writing system of the website's user to present what I presume is an approximation of the spelling in the user's native language or possibly a phonetic version.

This contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Weatherman".

On Names:

The Yusabib family consists of Yusabib Su'Alhazi, the Ambassador, his wife Yusabib Marah, their sick daughter Yusabib Amal and their son, the physician Dr Yusabib Altahgyir.

I used Arabic as the source language for these names, as the family originates from Alabasta, which, in turn, is inspired by Ancient Egypt. Their names mean: Yusabib Su'Alhazi = causes bad luck Yusabib Marah = causes joy Yusabib Amal = causes hope Yusabib Altaghyir = causes the change

Su'Alhazi causes bad luck for the envoy (who doesn't get the promotion he was hoping for), Baroque Works (whose sabotage he begins to undo) and the king (who dies). As far as I understand, this isn't an actual Arabic name.

I thought Marah was a lovely name, and I thought that a man whose parents/creator saddled him with a name that means 'bad luck' would appreciate a little joy in his fictional life. The name Marah exists in several languages, but this is the Arabic meaning "joy, fun happiness".

Amal is also an actual Arabic name that can mean "hope" or "aspiration". Originally, Amal was supposed to be the doctor of the family, but then I thought that another role suited her much better. So I changed her and she became a very ill but also very beloved family member in "The Weatherman".

Lastly, we have Dr Yusabib Altaghyir, whose name isn't actually a name. Yes, I know - you're convinced you heard or read this name before. And in a way, you have. If you are unfamiliar with the Arabic language, like me, it will remind you of the actual Arabic name "Altair" (Assassin's Creed 1 anyone?). I was delighted when I realised that one of the translations for "change" or "changes" was taghyir. I added the syllable al to that, it meant "the change". And so, the ambassador's son became the person who "causes the change" - Yusabib Altaghyir. I initially planned for him to be an apprentice embalmer. But I always wanted Vivi to change something in her kingdom in the wake of this case: that autopsies would no longer be eschewed but mandated by law where necessary. And I realised that an embalmer would be able to culturally approach the subject, but not on a technical level. Which is why Altaghyir became a surgeon who switched careers to become a medical examiner, like Law.

Let's move on to Mr 39 a.k.a. Faqat Al'Kadhib. His name is a literal translation of "only lies", and the correct spelling of that is "faqat alkadhib". I added the apostrophe to throw people off the scent in case anyone decided to Google the names. I gave him 12 piercings - 3 in one ear and 9 in the other, to represent his number. I never specified which ear holds how many piercings because there are languages that when reading the number start out with the tens and then single digits, but also languages that start with the single digit and then gives you the tens, like German. Also, this allowed for Nami to joke about him being either Mr 39 or Mr 93, a nice insult since she is of course aware that the lower the number, the higher up the agent is in the Baroque Works' hierarchy.

His partner, Miss Bird Day, had several names until I settled on Paon Nadia. The word "paon" is French for peacock, a very colourful bird - unless it is female. Female peacocks (peahens, actually) are very unremarkable in their appearance. They're grey-brown-ish in colour, and don't have a gorgeous long tail like the males do. Hence why Miss Paon is always described as having a dull, understated appearance. I wanted her originally to be Nadia Colombe, but then I realised that the white dove was Vivi's animal resemblance. And I didn't want the character to have that connection to her. Nadia, of course, is a name in many languages and it also exists in the Arabic language, where it means "dew" or "rain", which implies nourishment, generosity, but also kindness. Which became her job: the personal assistant to the ambassador. But also the one who supplied all the inside information to her accomplices that only she and the ambassador, and later only she and Vivi, had access to.

We also met Miss Teddy Charmeuse, who isn't Miss Laundry Day, as Nami had hoped, but actually Miss Sleep Day. She is named for a sleeping garment (a teddy is cut like a one-piece swimsuit, typically looser and sheerer, though; it is often worn to bed but was originally worn as an undergarment) and charmeuse is a luxurious silky and shiny fabric that is also used for lingerie, which I felt worked well with the garment she was named after.

Then there are the Sekers of Sweet Delights. And Seker is the Turkish word for "sugar". And Mr Seker's first name, Yapici, simply means "constructive". His son was simply given a common Turkish name for boys (according to the internet common) that didn't have religious connotations as far as I could tell. Yes, I was extremely creative. However, I am acquainted with people whose parents or grandparents lived in very rural areas and could still tell stories about how their families got their surnames. One told me their grandfather was simply late to the meeting where he was supposed to receive a name because he was walking too slow, so the Turkish word for 'slow' became his surname. So I feel like Seker could be a probable name for a family from Katmer, which is a kingdom I made up and that doesn't exist in the OP universe.

Speaking of Katmer, that's a traditional Turkish dessert eaten for breakfast or on special occasions. It's also a traditional first breakfast for newlyweds, which I thought was a beautiful custom. It consists of phyllo dough, clotted cream, pistachios and sugar. It looks beautiful and I never had it, but I thought it would make a great name for a kingdom that was allied with Alabasta. I decided to make its ruler a Khalife when I found a Turkish dessert called Kadayif, which has been around since the Ottoman Empire, at least. So, of course, his surname had to be Osuman, as a nod to the empire that created this dessert, as far as my research could tell.

So, in case you were wondering where I took those names from, now you know.

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FF.net sure has changed

So, it's been a while since I last posted something on Fanfiction.net. And by "a while" I mean almost 11 years.

I thought posting "The Weatherman" on ff.net would help me reconnect with some of my old readers. Instead, within the first 4 (in words: FOUR) hours of me posting the story, no less than five different people messaged me to offer me their services as commissioned artists.

I do love that the art community and the fanfiction community are working together like that. But it's jarring to come back to the platform and have basically no interaction with readers, only with people hoping for a commission.

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An overview over my current and completed works. I will try to keep this up to date.

Current Works

Second Crack - Second book in The Stormheart Files. A Murder Mystery that borrows characters from the One Piece universe.

The hospital cafeteria doesn't sell coffee. It sells the tears of beans, lamenting their unjust fates. Around Hiriluk Memorial Hospital, actual coffee can only be found at Elm & Stone. It's everyone's favourite coffee shop, not just Trafalgar Law's.

Except Detective Howaitode Smoker isn't enlisting the aid of everyone when one of the owners is found dead. He enlists Law's - and that of his mentee.

Of course, where trouble is brewing, Okino Nami isn't far, commenting on their 'investigative bromance' and expertly sifting through the dregs of the psyche - human, mink and otherwise.

Warnings: Moderate amounts of research, made-up chemistry (striving for somewhat plausible), coffee-babble (like techno-babbles except for coffee), coffee-related chapter titles, now a committed slow-burn.

Updates every 2 weeks.

Posted on: Archive of Our Own

Complete

The Weatherman - A Murder Mystery AU borrowing characters from the One Piece universe. (First book of The Stormheart Files)

Medical Examiner Dr. Trafalgar Law has to perform a secret autopsy on a political figure of great importance. He is convinced that it'll be a quick job until a familiar face appears in his morgue. Why, oh why, does Okino Nami always drag him into her messes? (Or: the Murder Mystery AU no one asked for. Not even that one person.)

Warnings: Major Character Death (it's a Murder Mystery - someone has to die), grieving character, InvestigativeJournalist!Nami and MedicalExaminer!Law, made-up poisons, Google Translate for character names, medical inaccuracies,

Posted on: Archive of Our Own Fanfiction.net