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I had originally given Tahmaseb the last name “Begum,” because there’s some pretty interesting historical people with that last name and I thought it suited him. What I didn’t know at the time was that Iranian last names can be gender-specific. Iran isn’t the only part of the world with gendered surnames. Russia and Iceland do it too. But of course you don’t know if you don’t check, and I eventually realized that there are no men named Begum. Cultural accuracy can sometimes be an unexpected boon, however. If Tahmaseb and his mother have different last names, that actually suits the story perfectly, if Maida, who doesn’t come from a culture with gendered surnames, misses the connection.
↓ Transcript
Panel 1: Maida: "I never even made the connection that Begzada and Begzadi are the same name. You own the block of flats I live in."
Panel 2: Maida: "This whole time you were this massively rich amelu and I never knew. A land-owner."
Panel 3: Tahmaseb, crossly: "No, I'm not a amelu. I left the family. I got a... decent divorce settlement, but none of this is mine, and it never will be."
Panel 4: Tahmaseb, less crossly: "Maida, the Tahmaseb you know is the real me. This... isn't." Maida: "Right. You gave all this up so you could be an artist."
Panel 5: Tahmaseb: "among other reasons. But yeh, the purpose of art is to better society. I couldn't do that living under my ex-mother's control."
Panel 6: Maida: "'Ex-mother.'" Tahmaseb looks at his messages on his ID card. Tahmaseb: "I'm surprised she agreed to meet on such short notice. We 'aven't spoken in monfs."
Panel 7: They arrive at a massive, wooden double door. A peacock casually strolls past. Tahmaseb: "Okay. Here we go. You ready?" Maida: "Yup! After a while, begging gets easier. Pride never got me anywhere good."
Panel 2: Maida: "This whole time you were this massively rich amelu and I never knew. A land-owner."
Panel 3: Tahmaseb, crossly: "No, I'm not a amelu. I left the family. I got a... decent divorce settlement, but none of this is mine, and it never will be."
Panel 4: Tahmaseb, less crossly: "Maida, the Tahmaseb you know is the real me. This... isn't." Maida: "Right. You gave all this up so you could be an artist."
Panel 5: Tahmaseb: "among other reasons. But yeh, the purpose of art is to better society. I couldn't do that living under my ex-mother's control."
Panel 6: Maida: "'Ex-mother.'" Tahmaseb looks at his messages on his ID card. Tahmaseb: "I'm surprised she agreed to meet on such short notice. We 'aven't spoken in monfs."
Panel 7: They arrive at a massive, wooden double door. A peacock casually strolls past. Tahmaseb: "Okay. Here we go. You ready?" Maida: "Yup! After a while, begging gets easier. Pride never got me anywhere good."
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