This page contains Out of Character (OOC) information about the character Satsi Tameike, including writing tips, tricks, and author commentary. For the DJB Character's page, click the previous link. The purpose of this information is for use in writing fictions/RO/ACC/RPs or for GFXing, but if you're just curious about Satsi, then you're welcome here too!
A commission of Satsi and Uji by Kaela Croft
Writing Satsi
Key Factors
- "Your brother isn't more important than the whole universe."
- "He is to me!''"
- ―Satsi
A few basic, crucial points to understanding and possibly writing Satsi:
TBA
The Good
TBA
...and the Bad
TBA
Dialogue
Satsi's speech is extremely situational. As part of her training as a courtesan/spy/enforcer...Whatever you'd call that, she learned to mimic any language or accent she heard that she could physically do to blend in with everything from a gutter on Nar Shadda or some backwater dirtball at the edge of the galaxy to the Senate floor in Coruscant or the empress' courts on Kiast and everything in between (though note that she doesn't know a bunch of languages, just takes the sounds). She has a couple that are standard to her and flavors them for the area or time, or can take a walk through the street and pick up on the way folks chew their words and start doing it too. Her speech mannerisms and accents will change based on what she needs and what role she's playing - whatever level of society or even whatever gender. Some of her personas speak loftily, without contractions, and sound like they grew up using High Galactic over tea, while others may be Corellian businessmen or dumb moisture farmers.
She doesn't have a natural, standard accent anymore - Satsi doesn't even know what her actual/original voice sounds like anymore. She changed them too often and started learning to too young right off her speech already being bad. She just uses the one she prefers most as a default, and tends to slip into the speech defects Jashin trained out of her from when she was little when she's too mad, upset, or drunk to control herself. (Uji probably doesn't have much of an accent, on account of moving around. But I think if they stayed with their parents longer, they'd both sound heavily Epicanthic from their parents, aka Japanese-person-speaking-English.) - but consciously defaults to her own version of Coruscanti because her master beat speaking like a proper one into her.
Away from him and on her own, her speech is different. Satsi's natural speech, when she's not playing a role and is comfortable with the people and relaxed, is somewhere between redneck and city street kid. She swears a lot, uses nicknames/pet talk (sugah with the ah, darlin'), cuts off her words, uses contractions, wrong verbs, slang, and so on (using both ya/you, your/yer/yah, and/an', of/'o, instead of/insteada, have/'ave, never/nevah, better/bettah, going to/gonna, not/isn't/aren't/ain't (eg "I'm not gonna" > "I ain't gonna" or "He isn't that smart" > "He ain't that smart")), etc. She speaks more clearly with people she doesn't know or when mad (furious is back to slang), and is trained to talk any way she needs to for blending in/the job. "Get tha' everlovin' frak outtah 'ere before I cut yer karkin' throat." vs "Greetings and brightest wishes from mine to yours, Master Qor. It is good to meet you." How much of this she does varies by comfort level and emotion. When she's very relaxed with people or with her friends/family, it's very casual speech, a mix of her mannerisms and regular talk. When she's unfamiliar with someone or the cold kind of murder angry, she speaks very clearly so she can be understood. When she's enraged or piss drunk or otherwise not in her right mind, that's when it gets to be the absolute worst and she can be nearly unintelligible for how garbled her words get.
Lots of pet names and things like that slip into her natural speech too. She calls people sugah, darlin', sweetheart, and so on, often sarcastically. She has nicknames for a lot of people, usually mocking, but fond if she likes them. Exp, Atty is "Pigtails," Marick is "prettyboy", Morgan is "Applejack" from Turel or "Jackie", Vorsa is "Petals/Petalmama", Turel is "preacherboy" or "churchmouse", so on.
People don't sing exactly like they talk but this is Satsi's voice in my head.
Nicknames, Slang, and Sayings
Uji
Kyodai ("brother")
Samantha
Sammy, butterfly, bunny
Turel
Churchmouse, Preacherboy, choirboy, T, Turel, Turry
Vorsa
Petals, Petalmama, mama (to self only)
Nayru
Nay, Kitty, Kitty-cat
Atyiru
Pigtails, Piggytails, blind bitch, Atty
Kordath
Kordy, Fluffy, Kord, trash panda, rat, ratboy
Zujenia
Mutt, Spots, Spotty, Spotty-baby/darling/honey, halftail, button, Jena
Shay'lra
Shay, Pinkie, Rosie, Fluffaboo
Morgan
Jackie, Applejack, Morgs
Celevon
Silver, Spooky
Marick
Prettyboy
Jashin
Master, my Lord, Lord Husband, Fuckface (-author)
Ruka
Green
Cora
Blue
General
Sugah/Sugar
Darling/Darlin'
Honey/Honeysugah/Honeybaby
Baby/babydoll/Babe
Lover/Loverboy
Sweetheart/Sweetie/Sweet thing
Pretty-eyes (insult only)
Goes by
Shimai ("sister"; Uji only)
Sats (friends)
Satsugai (rare; Uji)
Psycho/Psychobitch (Turel; others)
Crazy/Crazy lady (Kord, Ruka; others)
Red (Kord; others)
Pinkie pie/Pinkie (Morgan)
Doll/Demon's Doll (Black Sun associates; criminal associates)
My doll/little doll (Jashin)
Blood (new gang members on Selen)
Lady Tameikie/my Lady (discouraged; some Arconan servants)
Coach (Ruka)
Bitch/crazy bitch (just about everyone)
Slang
Sparkfinger(s); Sparky, Sparkies: a Force-User or; related to a Force-User or the Force
The People; Right People: criminals or poor folk, usually urban; people from the streets
Munnie (pronounced, myoonie): Mundane or Non-Force User (rare)
Normals: Mundane or Non-Force User
Preacherboys: Jedi
Browncloaks: Jedi
Darkies: Sith
Broodies: Sith or other Force-users
Inqy(s): the Inquisitorious; an Inquisitor or relating to an Inquisitor
Swears
Frak/frakking/Frak- (fraktastic, frakshit, frakdamn, frakface, etc)/-frak(ker) (motherfrakker, banthafrakker, etc)
Shit
Sithspit/banthashit
Damn/dammit/damned
Bitch (souavahbitch)
Bastard
Hell
Kark(ed)/karking
schutta/sleemo
Generally any insult that doesn't sound stupid, leeway given if Realism matters (strict in-universe adherense vs not)
Misc.
Shadows/by the Shadows (epitaph, used by she and Uji, similar to "by God/by the Force"), Grand Frakker (Pravus/GM), Micky (Mick), popper/popphah/cracker/crackah (pistols), TBA
Things to Remember (a.k.a. Common Misconceptions)
TBA
Music
Music is kickass. I can't write without it. I will spend hours hunting down songs that fit a certain moment, mood, character, relationship between characters, and even an entire story. When I can't seem to write a certain scene or character, I listen to the music that would go with what or who I'm trying to write. I suggest giving it a try. If you don't like it, that's fine. But if it does help, well...
In General
I'm no authority on writing other people's characters. In fact, I'm often scared of doing it, even if it's a NPC with no more background than, "She was a barmaid and dreams of this and that." However, I'll give the same advice I've been given: be bold. Try it! It's the only way I've ever improved in anything, whether writing, drawing, or interacting with people. Since joining the DB, I've been in a position to write others' characters more and more, and even though it can be a little nerve-wracking, I'm working at it. S'what counts, right?
So, all that being said, don't be afraid to ask, "Does this sound right?" or anything along those lines. Writing Satsi? Want advice? Poke me.
I'll be happy to help. The same goes for any writing help. Want a proof read or edits? Just ask, and I'll give you a hand.
That's my advice: try, practice, and get feedback. Totally the best tool available and best thing about this group.