Short Goblin Mode Boba Fett And Tall Tired Bo-katan Idk Why Im Doing This

short goblin mode boba fett and tall tired bo-katan idk why im doing this

Talkin’ Like McCree: A Primer, Pt. ½

So after that writing advice post (and the brief blip about Hanzo), I asked if any of you wanted to actually read about how to write a Southern accent, and there were some rapid responses, especially from non-Americans, so I am doing this! This is mostly about McCree, but you can extrapolate. @bloomingcnidarians also just made a great post about Southern sayings/phrases and their contexts that can be really helpful, so I’m not going to spend too much time on that. This is more about the accent itself. This is also shockingly long, so buckle up!

Caveats/Disclaimers

1: I’m not a dialect coach or anything. I’m just actually from the South and have a bit of a Southern accent. 

2: There’s no such thing as a single Southern accent. There are several. Texans do not sound like Georgians, etc., and even being from different parts of the same state or rural vs. urban areas can be different. So even another Southerner might read this and go “uhhh, not quite” about a point or two. But some general trends are the same. 

3: Not only am I not an expert, but I am also not an expert at writing it. I probably do it in ways that are jarring to people too. There’s not a “writing Southern accents” law you have to follow. If you’ve done it “wrong,” I am not coming to arrest you or shame you. They’re just suggestions, and some might even be flat out opinions/preferences.

General Notes & Thinking About Southern Accents

1: People do not talk consistently. Occasionally dropping the accent is actually fine, because it’s more realistic. In my everyday life, I absolutely alternate between “y’all” and “all of you,” or “droppin’ mah Gs” and “dropping my Gs,” or “ain’t that some bullshit?” and “doesn’t that stink?” I’ll get into this more in Points 3 and 4, but being sparing about it is both probably more accurate and a good character choice.

2: McCree’s accent is. Um. Not that thick, actually. It might sound like it, depending on where you’re from, but he enunciates reasonably well and is pretty articulate. Only a couple of the voice lines enter into the sort of “mumbling” you can get with a Southern accent. (This is probably at least partly the voice actor’s choice, but this is also how a lot of actual Southerners speak. We don’t all sound like we have a mouth full of marbles or like we’re sharp yappy dogs.) 

3: If you’re trying to decide between too much and not enough, I’d err on the side of not enough. We all know what he sounds like, so if you omit one of the suggestions in the next section, it’s really not that jarring compared to really overdoing it. Honestly, most writers are doing fine, but what I mean by jarring is this:

Don’t like shooting a lady, but for you, I’ll make an exception vs.

Don’ like shootin’ a lady, but fer ya, I’ll make an exception

Like we all heard the first in his accent anyway, right? So for me, if I were going to go ahead and play with his accent (and I would, because I love it), the only way I’d change the first sentence would be to drop the G off “shooting.” So:

Don’t like shootin’ a lady, but for you, I’ll make an exception.

4: Southerners are usually 100% aware that Southern accents are associated with being “lazy,” “stupid,” “old-fashioned,” and/or “uneducated.” We are also 100% aware (if sometimes flustered to realize) that the accent is also associated with being “charming,” “soothing,” “cute,” and occasionally even “sexy.” We know. Every one of us knows. (HC: McCree definitely knows.) What this means is that many of us absolutely, and often deliberately, code-switch. This is up to how you plan to characterize McCree, but it is really likely he knows when to exaggerate it and when to tone it down. Or he might choose to give zero fucks about those politics and just speak. I’ve met all kinds, and it’s up to you as a writer, but it’s worth thinking about his character in the moment: who he’s interacting with, what he wants them to think of him, and what he wants from them are all going to affect how much of his accent comes out.

Reasons he might exaggerate:

He wants someone to underestimate him, and he leans into the “dumb”/”lazy” stereotype.

He wants someone to be at ease, and he knows they’ll find it soothing.

He’s flirting with someone he knows/suspects finds it charming.

He’s around another Southerner and wants to deliberately demonstrate he’s “one of them.” Or it can be accidental because hanging around others with your accent will absolutely draw it out.

He’s drunk or tired. Hah.

Reasons he might tone it down:

He wants to be taken seriously, and this person might not if they think he sounds stupid or uneducated.

He’s speaking in a formal manner or context.

He’s trying to choose his words carefully or enunciate for someone who has a hard time understanding him.

He’s on the phone or speaking over a communicator and making an effort to be clear.

5: Southern accents do have a grammar and syntax. This is harder to explain, although Blooming got at it a bit in her discussion of the use of “done” (”you done fucked up”). All I mean by this here, though, is that just because it is a slight difference from more common American-English grammar and syntax doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own internal “rules.” That is, there’s an internal consistency, not just “bad grammar.” (This is comparable to, though obviously not as grossly racialized as, the way AAVE/”ebonics” is thought of as a stereotype versus how many linguists talk about it. It’s a dialect. It has rules. They just aren’t the mainstream rules.) I’ll contextualize this more when I get into Part 2.

This has been Part 1. Part 2 here.

Warlock Talisman Ideas

Aesthetic is almost always important when it comes to dnd characters. Doubly so if you’re representing a powerful entity who has deemed you worthy (or foolish) enough to be given a smidge of their power. So, to help you fit the bill here are some Pact of the Talisman appearance and flavour ideas.

A smokey crystal ball that is warm to the touch, and glows white hot when you cast.

A stoppered vial with a moving wisp of shadow inside. When you cast your spells is appears like you are dragging parts of the shadow out to perform your magic.

A single earing that seems to whisper to you in incomprehensible language.

A single pink rose pinned to your lapel that blooms every morning and dies every evening. A petal falls when you use a spell slot.

A gold band that has small eyes dotted all the way around, they seem to open and close on whim, and never all at once.

A necklace made of rusting metal, it looks wet, and when you touch it feels wet. When you inspect your fingers afterwards however, they always come away dry.

A feather that remains immaculate regardless of the situation you’re in. At night it glows softly.

A charred bone with small tally marks across, when you get injured it begins to smoke, and when you go unconscious another mark appears.

A shard of mirror that always seems to put your reflection, and only yours, out of focus.

A shell that when you put it to your ear, you feel the sea breeze along with the sound of waves crashing.

A gem that, when its in your hand, you can’t help but idly polish; the shine just never seems right.

A length of lace you always feel wrapped around your wrist, even when you give it to someone else.

A seemingly dull brass cuff on the outside, on the inside it gleams bright gold, with stories etched into the metal that are too small to properly read.

I love Rolo too!! They just make sense in a away... so I’m gonna need that essay sis😂💕

They really do just make sense! The two long-time leaders of the X-Men with incredible skills and strong but nuanced moral compasses who have always had each other to lean on - being a couple is just a natural fit, both from a character and an editorial standpoint.

From an editorial standpoint, I think one of the big problems with a relationship like Storm/Forge is that Forge (especially in the 80s/90s) just wasn’t interesting or well-developed enough to stand up to a character as iconic as Storm. But Storm and Wolverine are on similar levels in terms of being iconic X-characters, so that neither one of them takes over the story and it can focus on both of them equally.

From a character standpoint, one thing I love is their history. When they first join the X-Men, they’re both struggling to be human. Ororo is struggling to be human because she has spent so much time treated as a goddess, and Logan is struggling to be human because he believes himself to be little more than an animal. They come at the problem of being human from these conflicting directions, but their former isolation and their distance from the rest of humanity makes them close to each other. And in those early days, it’s Ororo who teaches Logan morality, who convinces him that killing is not the way - and when she gets angry and loses her way, he’s the one who reminds her of the very lessons she taught him.

As far back as the late 70s/early 80s, they have a relationship that is based on their mutual willingness to be vulnerable around each other because they trust and respect one another.

Flash forward to the 2010s, when they’re actually in a romantic relationship, and all of that is still true. At that point, Logan and Ororo are both going through big changes in their lives. Logan has lost his healing factor, Ororo has divorced* her husband and lost her role as queen.

(*Technically it was a one-sided annulment that he completed without telling her, but, hey, “divorced” is close enough.)

They are both trying to figure out who they are now, and in this time of change and upheaval in their lives, they turn to each other. Ororo helps Logan realize that being mortal means that he has a chance to live a normal life, to step completely away from Weapon X and build a real home. Logan supports Ororo in her decision to cut loose, to be who she really wants to without any labels to hold her back. And this is clearly an extension of the relationship they had right back when they first met each other - she is still reminding him that he is more than an animal or experiment, he is still reminding her that she doesn’t have to be a goddess, she can just be her own amazing, human self. They own up to their insecurities and reassure each other that they are known and loved regardless.

Also during this time, they are jointly in charge of the school and they are each running their own team of X-Men. They can cooperate and work together, but they also both trust that the other person is capable and good and going to save the world. They support each other’s personal missions without insisting on being involved, which is a very healthy approach to take in relationships. They’re a team, but they’re both still individuals with their individual priorities and enemies, and they recognize that, and the comic writers recognize that.

Finally, they just look good together. Make-out sessions in the Danger Room, haircuts in the shower, going out for a night of dancing. Apart from all the character analysis, I love that when we see them on page together, they seem to be having fun. They like hanging out and teasing each other and kissing and sparring together, and they have an easy way around each other, whether they’re flirting or talking strategy.

In conclusion: they’re just very good.

She Hulk in Captain Marvel (2019) #2