#the book and the brotherhood

[howifeltabouthim]

It reaches me as love, it leaves me as magic.

Iris Murdoch, from The Book and the Brotherhood

[the-final-sentence]

‘To us — and snails, God bless them!’

Iris Murdoch, from The Book and The Brotherhood

[elirastudio]

So other six demon kings joined Sun Wukong creating…

[ograecus]

obi-wan, Screaming: i pretend i do not see

[you-get-me-closer-to-god]

Vampire fang boners are actually one of my favorite tropes. “His fangs lengthened”??!???! Hell yeah they did, bite me with your horny fangs you bitch

[smoothshine]

At last, beautiful people, I AM ALIVE!!

Life has been tough for these last couple of weeks, but I finally got the time to finish this piece for @chewytran's DTIYS!

Hopefully I won't crawl back under the rock and die (again, lolol), but my schedule is killing me right now, so we'll see. In the meantime - hope you enjoy this little peace offering, hehe :33

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 120

Lancer hasn’t been in the business for years. He’d long since retired, having enough to live comfortably, to finally go to college, and to slip away from the scene like a ghost. Or perhaps not like a ghost, apparently they liked to make a racket. 

 But he was getting increasingly concerned about one Danny Fenton. He didn’t want to assume anything of course, but it was increasingly obvious that something was very wrong. Something familiarly wrong, even if he himself was never a part of that side of things. 

 He tries to tell himself that it’ll all be fine, he’s out of that life after all. But he can only see a teen getting shot at so many times. Can only try to convince himself not to get back into exercising and practicing his shot. He can only see that teen come into his class exhausted and bruised so many times without helping however slightly. 

But then the GIW happens. The city gets stolen into another dimension. Everyone got dosed with ecto, everyone is at risk. Danny is just a kid, who shouldn’t have to deal with this. Whose curled up in his home with his friends bandaged and bleeding green. 

It seems it might be time to call his old fling. So here he was, tapping his foot as he looked out his window far too late at night while waiting for the phone to connect. It felt like forever before it did, but that only strengthened his resolve. 

 “Hey Slade, hope you remember me because I have information about something you’ll really want to know…” 

(I misspelled and it corrected to fling instead of friend but i am keepin that in lmao)

[vermillionbedfellow]

over the years experts have speculated on what makes a tv series great, but they've all missed a really important correlating factor, and thats fred armisen showing up for about 15 seconds to do an intricately crafted bit of madness

if your show has fred armisen acting a funky little freak we're gonna have a good time

(i would like for him to show up in the next series as a slightly different radio host with a fixation on a different niche genre, and for him to completely deny all knowledge of dj carl of fort fiddle) (sort of like a post apocalyptic mlepclaynos)

[jewishcissiekj]

Since Asajj Ventress appeared in recent media and is set to appear in future shows and Star Wars content, I've seen a lot of people starting to read Dark Disciple. but besides that book, there are so many stories featuring Asajj over her 22 years of existence. So if you are looking for some recommendations and entry points to Asajj outside of the TV shows, here are some recommendations to get to know her a bit better, in both the Canon and Legends timelines:

(for anyone looking for a definitive list of everything she's ever been in, I also have that)

for anyone looking for just the list of recommendations without all my babbling, scroll down to the bottom, it'll be there.

Canon

Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) Starting off, this masterpiece. Telling the dual story of Asajj and Dooku, Jedi Lost is genuinely some of the best Star Wars content out there, in my opinion. Taking place early in The Clone Wars, it tells Asajj's journey battling her ghosts and uncovering her Master's history. It requires only the context of the prequels and The Clone Wars, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the Prequels, Dooku, or Asajj.

Brotherhood - by Mike Chen Continuing with the book that serves as an introduction to Asajj in canon (chronologically), Brotherhood presents an interesting take on her first meetings with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She's far from the main character here, only supporting the book's plot as the villain and the initiator behind some of the troubles Obi-Wan faces on Cato Neimodia. This Asajj is more calculated, working behind the scenes while still facing off face to face against Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it uniquely handles her character. The book is a Clone Wars adventure taking place before and it requires only the movies' and TCW's context, once again. *While technically taking place after Hyperspace Stories #5, it contradicts that issue's events and makes more sense if it takes place before, so I listed it first (for more info on the contradictions you can go here)*

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) Taking place shortly after Anakin's knighting, before The Clone Wars show, this is a short and interesting comic story for Asajj. While tying into an over-arching plot of the series, this issue stands alone well. Simply put, Asajj is sent to retrieve a mysterious item by Count Dooku and encounters Anakin and Obi-Wan in the process. It has fun art, fun dynamics, and it's really good.

Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok This one is not as set on the timeline, but we do know it takes place while Asajj is still working for Dooku. In short, without too many spoilers, Asajj falls into a pit and has to trust on a Clone Trooper's help to get out. The story is a part of an anthology, but it completely stand-alone on its own. If you can read it on its own, I recommend it, but the rest of the book is also very much worth it if you want to buy it for the story. Dawson captures a version of Asajj that rarely gets attention, before the Nightsisters, and manages to show her identity and tell a wonderful story without that tool that's often overly used (in my opinion).

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire Jumping forward in the Timeline, we have another Asajj story by Cavan Scott! It has Bounty Hunting, A baby Sarlacc, pretty art, fun coloring, and Asajj. So what's not to love? Like Hyperspace Stories, Return to Vader's Castle also has an over-arching plot, but that's 4 framing pages of Vaneé being a bitch and has no effect on the rest of it. Solid stuff. (it is also the source of the first picture in this post)

Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez Next, we have a wonderful short story taking place just before The Clone Wars episode "To Catch a Jedi". In just a few pages, Jody Houser brings conflict and personality to Asajj's time on Coruscant. And there's gorgeous art.

Legends

While Legends, and especially the comics, have some of my favorite stories with Asajj, it's hard to recommend individual issues. They can be stand-alone but still connected and ingrained in the ongoing story of the comics. But I tried to hand-pick the best for introduction and knowledge of who Asajj is a character there. So I won't recommend the 12 issues she's in, I set myself the limit of sticking with the same number of recommendations I had for canon.

Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello Although I'm assuming you all have at least a passing familiarity with Asajj's character, introductions are still important. And, yes, Asajj first appeared in a different comic and after a month or so in Clone Wars (2003), but chronologically, in-universe, this is her first appearance. The Face of War is comprised of issues #51 and #52 of the Star Wars: Republic comic series, and although Asajj is only in the last page of #51, it's necessary context. This one isn't a must for me, but it sets the ground for her. And it's good. Giorello's art brings a unique perspective to Asajj's character, and by that I mean it may not be to some people's taste. So take your pick with this one.

Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching If the last one isn't a must, this one is. It is a stand-alone adventure, almost feeling like a (better) TCW episode. Obi-Wan is off to infiltrate a Techno Union base with a team of all-star legendary Jedi that are introduced, and everything goes wrong when they run into the Confederacy's best, Durge and Asajj Ventress. I say it's a must because it establishes the nature of the rivalry between Obi-Wan and Asajj, and gives us such a sense of who those people are. It also lays the foundations to my next comic recommendation.

Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn This one, a 1784-word story, originally published on Wizards.com as a part of The Living Force roleplaying campaign, is definitely not a must, but it's barely 2k words, just read it. In all seriousness though, it captures Asajj's essence and I just. love it. You can read it right now, that's the link in the name, it's up online for free legally. While it is a part of the RPG campaign, I read it individually and had no trouble at all.

The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes (The Japanese cover is prettier and has Asajj, ok?) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto head to the planet Ord Cestus to try and convince Ord Cestus's government to ally with The Republic. But under the surface, a mysterious scheme had developed and it gets messy. Never ask me to write a publisher's summary. Asajj is the villain of this one, and I don't have much to say about it, but it is good. Fair warning: it hasn't aged the best in my opinion, and not even in a politically correct sense, some of the descriptions and relationships were questionable at best. If you like Kit Fisto and political adventuring and Clone Wars fights and a mascarade ball, if I remember correctly, this one's for you. It's not much of a story for Asajj but it is a fun read.

Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello I have never ever not once said it but this right here is my favorite Asajj story of all time ever. It does require context, though, so here's it: after the battle of Jabiim, Alpha-17 (Legends Arc Trooper, you may have heard of him) and Obi-Wan (a staple in Asajj's stories, he needs to gtfo women's business) are blown up and declared dead. Turns out Asajj Ventress has been holding them in her castle on the planet Rattatak and this is the daring story of their escape. In this issue, Asajj's origin story is revealed, before the Nightsisters had anything to do with her. More than any other Legends issue, it differentiates greatly from anything you know about Asajj in TCW/Canon. She's a warlord, with armies at her beck and call, a military commander, And it's fun. Her origin story is told in this issue, and it's such a great story that shifted my understanding of her a lot. The art, once again, is by Giorello, keep it in mind.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart (Japanese cover, once again) Last but certainly not least, the Legends Clone Wars book I've heard the most positive reviews of, and was not disappointed in the slightest. It is as good as they say. The story doesn't focus on Asajj, and she isn't even the main antagonist, but she gets a meaningful role in it and has her place and her arc in the story. It's also my favorite approach to how Asajj would act when she has to deal with children. Worth the hype and an excellent book to read unrelated to Asajj.

Alright, that's all! I hope you check out at least one of these, they're all great. As said before, I also have a complete list of everything Asajj in chronological order. Feel free to ask me anything about the list and the things in it. I can also give a complete comic reading list for her, since it's a bit more than just the issues she appeared in. For anyone struggling with the accessibility of these recommendations, I have a hopefully comprehensive guide in the complete appearances post. And now just this list because I promised that:

Canon 1) Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) 2) Brotherhood - by Mike Chen 3) Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) 4) Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok 5) Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire 6) Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez

Legends 1) Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc (Star Wars: Republic #51-52) - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 2) Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching 3) Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn 4) The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes 5) Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 6) Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart

tag list: @thechaoticfanartist @charmwasjess @metalatl @redsandspirit @slutshartsstuff @housepartyfortwo @karma-malfoy @thelivingforce

[scintillyyy]

and honestly, the fact of the matter is. that when a male character is killed for another male character's sake, it's almost guaranteed that the death will forever be a weight upon the narrative in the way a female character's death never will be. a male character will be mourned forever, the loss of a brother in arms considered a gaping wound that will never truly heal. meanwhile, the loss of a mother is a small footnote tragedy in the beginning of the story, but she is never truly remembered by her son. the loss of a daughter guarantees that a surrogate one will eventually arrive to replace her empty space. the loss of a wife will usher in a new woman to heal the man. but the loss of a brother or father is a constant cross the man will bear for the rest of his life.

[schwirrymartz]

goth twins (from different universes)

[howifeltabouthim]

I realise that you have quite another life into which I don't enter and when it suits you you vanish.

Iris Murdoch, from The Book and the Brotherhood

[never-gonna-danse-again]

cutler

there isn’t enough of him (from what I’ve found) so here’s how I picture this awesome dude

would’ve been 35 in the events of Fo4 (born in Rivet City in 2252)

always relatively well kempt, decides to get a undercut/ crew cut upon joining the BOS to 'look more official' (he has light brown hair and hazel eyes, specifically)

not a tall guy; about 5’8 max and slim. Hilarious to quite a few that there’s like 6’4 Danse who was constantly at his side and then Cutler being unexpectedly short for a BOS knight

Had a great sense of humour; absolute king of sarcasm, almost as quick with his mouth than he was with a rifle

not so secret music enthusiast; brought the record player from him and Danse’s old flat to his quarters (moved it about to wherever he was currently posted, ) but didn’t always take his delicate vinyl records

Took a while to familiarise himself with the Brotherhood’s way of life, and initially struggled with the sudden conformity as a recruit. he wasn’t expecting them to be so harsh in their ways, and while working under Elder Maxson, he didn’t agree with his ideals. Slightly disheartened to see Danse so quickly sway to more extremist views, but tried not to bring it up/ doesn’t get the chance to

emmet was his cat (not proctor Quinlan’s, i hate that guy) who he found as a kitten on the street in his early years in the Commonwealth. Emmet’s about four now, and Haylen brings him the cat-equivalent to a feast on every birthday

has been dead for three years by 2287. His holotags have started to rust, despite Danse's efforts to keep them in prime condition; he's been wearing them as well as his own for all that time.

a genuinely kind person, possibly one of the sweetest people you would've met. Known in Rivet City to take care of lost children or pets until he found their home; luckily, selling scrap is a flexible business, and he would often take days off to help a boy find his way home

had a small scar just next to his right eye earnt in a bar fight (aka one of his favourite past times) when he underestimated an opponent that brought out a switchblade on him. Took lots of explaining when he came home

grew up with a relatively normal childhood until he was about ten, when a trade gone wrong left his father killed by mutants and his mother fleeing from the Capital Wasteland entirely. He started his scrap stall soon after, and survived on the streets of Rivet city alone; Cutler was fifteen and Danse was (figuratively, I believe that synths can age but slower than humans) seventeen when they met. They joined the BOS ten years later

slower learner in combat to start with, but rose to the rank of Knight quickly

took the scouting op without Danse knowing; the Paladin tried to convince him to leave it, but fails in the end

somehow managed to be in love under the Brotherhood's nose... perhaps it was his charm that kept their mouths shut

[okayishalchemist]

i still cant believe the writers of tangled went "okay so there's this group of dedicated and highly trained knights from the dark kingdom who've sworn their life to protecting the moonstone! did they grown up together? have they been knights in the kingdom for years before the brotherhood was officially formed? how old were they when it started? what were their duties outside protecting the moonstone? who knows! anyways, they argue and disagree on some things but they clearly have a very deep and personal history :) oh and also one of them is Varian's dad lol he struck out on his own because he decided he just wanted a calm farm life but he's carried the weight of his past with him for years!! ^^" and then said "oh you want more screentime of them? no <3" and every day it drives me insane

[sailforvalinor]

Like obviously he’s overjoyed at having his body back but how much do you think Alphonse misses having such a convenient way to kidnap adopt cats

[devileaterjaek]