Annotated 33-5
Onomatopoeic suggestions from the readers: VERT-VERT-VERT, PURR-VERT-VERT-VERT, ZHWUM-ZHWUM-ZHWUM-ZHWUM, TIKTIKTIKTIKTIK, KA-TRANSFORM!, THWIP!, ZIPPY-POO KAWANG!, KA-OPEN!, REZZZZZZZ, CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK NRRRRRRRRFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWEEEEEEEEEEEEEE [56K modem], ZWORP, …………, MZWERV, WOOMP-WOOMP-WOOMP-WOOMP-WOOMP [classic Transformer sound]. Me, I’d’ve gone with BOOOOOOP.
We could’ve gone with something like “Designation?” for the first line, but we only had so much time for misunderstanding-based comedy, and I don’t think Flo wanted WAV to sound too much like a 1980s stereotype of a nerdlinger. If he talks somewhat like an early computer interface, he won’t be substituting bigger words for smaller words just for the sake of it: it’s more like “objective” actually conveys his thoughts in a way that “goal” would not.
“Cross-platform” is really more relevant to this scene than to the chapter as a whole, but I suppose you could apply it in a very loose sense to the Sepia World meetups.
What does WAV actually say for his name, in sound rather than in text?
That is, does he say, “I am Wav,” or does he say, “I am doubleyou-ay-vee”?
WAV is pronounced “wave,” but WAV goes quickly from mid- to low pitch when he says it
VRRRRRRR would also work here, I think.