#dark discipline

[skylarstark4826]

More than anything else, Asajj wants revenge. Some days, she’s more precise than others about whom she will extract that revenge from, but the Jedi are always high on the list.

She had killed a few, some whose names she didn’t even know. Still she’s surprised the day when, in one of their duels, Kenobi misses a ceding parry, twists his ankle in the process, diverts her blade less than he should and finally rolls onto the floor with a yell, his lightsaber out of reach, his good hand pressed to his injured shoulder. He’s better than that, better than making a sloppy mistake in a life and death situation.

For a second they observe each other and she sees the bags under his eyes and the aura of exhaustion. Then she goes to push her blade into his throat, decided to make it quick.

She doesn’t have the time, can only push herself out of arm’s reach at the last second. Kenobi is not alone and the warning of the Force came almost too late. Kenobi didn’t come alone and she’s so used to Skywalker’s solar presence in the Force when searching for Kenobi’s potential help, that she didn’t perceive this one and could have lost her head for it.

The other Jedi is larger, bigger, and taller than Kenobi, a male Kiffar, wearing only part of the Jedi uniform, leaving his arms bare. He uses Juyo, viciously, and she scrambles to use the correct defence against it after battling Kenobi and his Soresu.

They battle their way across the building; it’s evident after a few minutes that he is trying to drive her away from the hurt Kenobi, but she can’t seem to turn this duel around, forced into a defensive position with never a second to counter-strike.

“You’re only offering him a moment. I will have his head just after yours!” she spits, furious, when he parries one of her strikes. Where a minute before she had been almost sad to kill Kenobi after months of duels, from planets to spaceships to space stations, now she’s full of hate. How dare that man take her away from her prize? With Kenobi’s head, Dooku himself would finally have taken her seriously!

“Oh, sweet thing,” the man laughs, not even out of breath, “a Jedi might feel vexed. Am I not good enough for you?” And he strikes at one of her blades in a bold move with such strength that her teeth rattle.

“I can assure you, everything dear Obi-Wan can do for you, I can too.” He almost takes her hand on the last word in a reverse attack and she needs to retreat again.

“To be honest, he can be a little boring, no? It’s even getting worse with age. Better let him breathe a little, sweetheart, after all, I’m here now.”

She’s losing. She’s too tired after fighting with Kenobi and not in the habit of facing adversaries who use such physical strength. She will lose this duel and die unavenged. Or worse, she will be taken prisoner.

With a rage filled cry, she sheathes one of her blades and catches the detonator on her belt. He reacts as she thought he would: when the explosion blossoms in the foundations of the building, he abandons their duel and runs to his fallen comrade, letting her escape.

Later, she searches carefully in the Separatist files about the Jedi until she finds a name.

Quinlan Vos.

****

“That’s why I like working with you, we always meet the most interesting people,” Quinlan jokes, when they’re safe from the blast. He had used the Force to enhance his speed and rush them out. Behind them the building is still collapsing. Obi-Wan is still carelessly thrown over his shoulder.

“Let me down,” his friend protests, “or I will throw up on your backside.”

“Save people’s life and this is how they thank you,” Quinlan grumbles, but he’s careful when he puts the other man on his feet and quick to catch him when Obi-Wan stumbles. The Kiffar opens his tunic, batting away protesting hands, and inspects the wound.

“She has a mean strike, your friend. You will have another scar, and a big one. But the chicks dig it.”

“She’s not... How can you… The chicks, Quinlan, really, by the Force, you’re… You know what, I’m not entering that discussion. Either of those discussions.” And he starts walking in the direction of their ship. Limping, in fact, in the direction of their ship.

Quinlan sighs, joins him, and silently offers his back. Yes, Obi-Wan could do it under his own power, but walking on that ankle would only aggravate it, and a speedy recovery is important. There is no need for pride between two Jedi, especially two who’ve known each other since the Creche. In silence, Obi-Wan climbs on his back. He’s heavy with the plastron he’s wearing, but Quinlan has supported hurt friends and foes over longer distances and direr circumstances. He starts walking, as quick as he can because he wants his infuriating friend patched up.

Obi-Wan murmurs a thank you against his ear and Quinlan smiles. Still, he can’t stop a last quip. “I should have gone with the lady. Pretty sure she would be more fun. What’s her name?”

“You’re not going after her.”

“You can’t keep all the fun ones to yourself.”

“You and I have a very different definition of fun. But she’s called Ventress. Asajj Ventress.”

******

After that first meeting, the thrice-damned Kiffar seemed to be everywhere. Everywhere!

He foils one of Dooku’s plans in the Besh Gorgon system. He saves another Jedi, an aging male Borlorian, from General Grievous in the battle of Felucia.

And everywhere Asajj goes, he seems to get there just before her. Smirking like he’s trying to get into her bed instead of trying to capture or kill her and with a lit lightsaber in his hand to stop her from her objectives.

“Ehhh, you got better, congratulations sweet girl!” he even exclaims when she, at their third duel, scores a long gash on his tight.

With a shriek, she attacks again. It’s still true even if the delivery line is totally inappropriate for a non-attachment warrior monk. She’s getting better against him and that’s not surprising when she reprogrammed her training droids with his fighting style. He’s the man who stopped her from killing Kenobi and since he is not on the battlefield right now, she has no problem electing Vos as her number one target.

And Asajj likes to be prepared. She trains, day after day, and she prepares herself mentally. Her rage won’t be enough against him, like it’s never enough against the pain in the backside that is Skywalker. She does her research more patiently than most of the time, but she doesn’t find a lot of things about him in their files, even in the Republic ones that Dooku had access to, the Force knows how. A large part of it is redacted, a clue about what her Master calls “Shadow’s activities.” She doesn’t really understand how such a flashy man could fill such missions, until three months later when the intelligence leak she was sent to stop on one of their bases is revealed to be Quinlan Kriffin Vos, minus the Jedi tunics and with extra leather pants.

“See you later, sweet thing!” he yells when he escapes on her own speeder after a long chase over the roofs, Force-jumping like they’re playing instead of trying to decapitate each other.

“Stop calling me that!” she yells in return, despite herself. She must acknowledge one thing: he’s more fun than Kenobi, the fire in his eyes full of a joy that the other man is lacking. Sometimes, late in the night when she’s alone, she allows herself to think back to his taunts. Sometimes, she almost smiles.

****

It almost ends in the Candoras sector. For both of them. Quinlan was allowed to be a little vexed; he’d had great plans to bring her back alive, unarmed, to the Jedi. The things she could tell them about Dooku, about the Separatists! The Jedi had grown into their roles as Generals and could salvage a victory from many a battle, but intelligence is the true way to win a war.

And sometimes, when he has occasion to observe her when she doesn’t know it, he thinks it could be a chance for her, too. He was always a little bit sentimental.

He has left Quartzedge Port, on the planet Poln Minor, for the underground caverns, tracking a Separatist spy that he unmasked but couldn’t stop before she stole a shuttle, four systems away. It seems these days he’s too busy tracking spies to go back to what should be his primary task: finding the Sith Master. All Jedi seem too busy these days, putting out fires left and right with never a moment of calm.

What he doesn’t know is that Ventress has come to the system—to extract a Separatist spy that a Jedi just unmasked. They meet in a cavern, lightsaber clashing against lightsaber, his blade versus her two. For a moment he forgets everything about the spy.

Ventress dances just out of his reach, taunts him, something in her expression more amused than her usual cruel smirk, as graceful as a bird, as lethal as a rancor. The Force is singing danger in his ear, trumpeting almost and he wants to yell at It that yes, he knows, he’s literally busy with the Darksider right now! No need to warn him about danger when said danger is already trying to cut him in two!

And then the roof of the cavern explodes. He will never forget to listen to the Force or think he knows the reason of its warning again and Master Tholme would cuff him on the head if he was here, knighted or not! Apparently, the spy thinks her chances are better without the Jedi and also without her backup.

“How shocking that a traitor would betray people again…” he taunts when Ventress swears when she understands the truth. She immediately Force-pushes him into a wall and seems ready to follow with her blade when another explosions occurs, forcing them to run.

They don’t stop for three days. Three days of danger, one occurrence of fire, too many strange creatures that make him question exactly what they were mining here in the past, and so many kilometres of tunnel that he can’t feel his feet anymore.

“That’s it, I’m stealing Obi-Wan’s seat on the Council, and he can come play with the thirty meters long man-eating worm with the bad breath,” he grumbles at their fourth meeting with one of those beasts. Every animal is important in the natural circle, every one of them important in the Living Force, but really, he could have done without ever meeting one and he never loses an occasion to tell his only public: Ventress herself.

“More running and less talking.”

“You love my voice.”

“I will cut out your tongue!”

“Aggressive kisser are you?”

“Shut up and run!”

He almost gets eaten three times and Ventress two, but they survive. Together. When they finally find the exit he hesitates, his hand on his lightsaber. He should take it from his belt. He should fight her, again. He should.

“I’m going that way,” he finally announces.

“And me, that way,” she says, low. Then: “See you on the battlefield, Vos.”

She starts to turn and he stops her, a hand on her shoulder. It’s a testimony to the last few days that she doesn’t try to take his hand for that. He kisses her, quick, just once, a very chaste kiss, then turns away and starts walking again, in the direction of Quartzedge Port.

He can feel her eyes on his back for a long, long time.

[ladies-of-fortune]

Control your body language, control the world

Why is it so important?

Body language is everything. It’s the silent superpower that influences your success in every area of life. If you can't connect with people, progress becomes impossible. Whether it’s a first date, a job interview, or making friends, your body language does the heavy lifting. It’s not always what you know but who you know. Even if you have a one in a million idea, if no one likes you, it will stay stuck at zero.

We all unconsciously give off subtle signals that reveal our true thoughts and feelings. A mere twitch of someone’s face is all it takes to express displeasure. Mastering your own signals puts you in control of how others perceive you.

The resting bitch face conundrum

If your neutral expression looks angry, sad, or afraid, you have two options:

Adjust your behaviour to compensate - Put your energy into making sure your first impression negates the vibes your resting face gives off. Once you're on more comfortable terms, you can relax and people will know that expression is just your face.

Surgery - This is an option but it's a risky one. If you go down this route, I recommend getting a procedure to fix your mouth into a neutral position rather than a permanent smile. There's a chance you'll come out looking like the joker, and your range of emotions will be restricted.

Fake smiles are worse than not smiling

Please don't fake smile, it doesn't fool anyone. I've seen a fake smile directed at me that gave the distinct impression of an ape preparing to attack, and it's haunted me ever since. A genuine smile reaches your eyes and lights up your voice. It's an infectious, unconscious energy. If you can't muster a real smile, it's better to remain neutral and true to your emotions than have others detect a falsehood from you.

Be open with your body language

Don't mute your expressions and gestures. For some this may have arisen as a defence mechanism, but in adulthood it can make you appear unapproachable. Unlearning this takes time, but its worth it. Once you feel safe to express your true feelings, your authenticity will shine. Being yourself, regardless of others’ expectations, commands respect and attracts people who genuinely like you for you.

(Of course, being authentic doesn’t mean being a public menace. There’s a line.)

Win people over with your body language

Lean in slightly during conversations to show interest.

Nod or smile occasionally while the other person talks to encourage them to keep speaking.

Use your hands when you speak to display enthusiasm.

Don’t hide your hands—it makes people subconsciously think you’re up to something shady.

Maintain good eye contact. Too little, and you seem disinterested; too much, and you risk coming off as intense. Strike a balance by aiming for natural, consistent eye contact about 70% of the time, and break away occasionally to keep it casual.

Respect personal space. Standing too close can make people uncomfortable, while standing too far might seem aloof. Aim for about an arm’s length of distance and adjust based on the other person’s comfort level.

Learn to read others

Once you master your own body language, you can start picking up on what others are saying without words. Spot their tells, mirror their movements and like magic, you’ll become “one of them.” Without quite knowing why, people will feel comfortable around you. This makes any requests or difficult conversations you'll have with them in the future much easier.

Context is key

Body language isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works in a casual setting may not translate in a formal one. Leaning back in a chair might show relaxation with friends but could come across as disengaged in a job interview. Similarly, an enthusiastic wave is great for greeting friends but may seem unfocused in a serious business meeting.

Tailor your approach to the environment and the people you’re interacting with. A little adaptability goes a long way in ensuring your body language sends the message you want it to send.

[mindfulstudyquest]

your competition isn't other people.

it's your procrastination, your ego, the unhealthy food you're consuming, the knowledge you neglect, the negative behavior you're nurturing and your lack of creativity.

compete against that.

[inthefaceofdeathhewasnotafraid]

Studying doesn't suck as much as failing

I have a lot of stuff I need to get done this weekend. Exams are at the end of the month and rehearsals for my schools musical start this week so I'm seriously need caffeine recs that taste good and wont fuck up my body! My current go to is adding instant coffee to black tea, but I have been told that that is horrifying :)

[eleventeenthealbum]

Quora is probably the most desolate corrupt market of ideas in a way yahoo answers or reddit simply couldn't achieve or comprehend

[winningismyjob]

Go study and prove everyone who once doubted you wrong.

[thatgirlchallenge]

It’s good to have goals. It’s better to have a realistic timeframe.

I am writing up a plan right now, I am an easy person, I just need numbers and precise goals to follow up a plan and achieve everything I have ever dreamed of.

[kalki-tarot]

How did you inspire the person on your mind ? PAC

This reading may not resonate with everyone, only take what resonates and leave the rest.

Pile 01

Confirmations : seahorses, pink, purple, blue, beach, seashells, baby, red, 444, 222, 333, yellow, green, 1212, 111

Cards : the fool, 8 of wands, 8 of cups

Some of you may also have been attracted to pile 2, you can check it out as well.

My dear pile 1, you are someone who is very clear and has a very direct plus straightforward communication style. You do not beat around the bush. The person you're asking about used to run away from confrontation before, but after meeting you they've learnt how important communication is in relationships of all kinds. Hence, they have started making bold moves and they do not think twice before expressing their needs and desires. You have somehow healed their throat chakra and inner child wounds. They are thankful that now they can be easily expressive without any fears of being judged.

Pile 02

Confirmations - black and white, cozy room, pillows, sea, shore, kafka on the shore, haruki murakami, Japanese literature, japan, cities

Cards - 10 of pentacles, knight of cups, the high priestess

You are a person who has an abundance mindset, you have a burning flame of unending hope in your heart. Your person sees that and gets inspired from your spirit and willingness to live and achieve great things in life.

They get inspired from your spiritual and esoteric side too. Some of y'all could be witches, or just spiritual people in general. They get inspired from your art and thinking too. This person is attracted to your mind or way of thinking a lot. You have also helped them to get more social and make new friends and connections. You also inspire them to make the first moves.

[throughdoegaze]

Hard truth —

Your life won't change just because you bought a new planner, a self-improvement book or an aesthetic productivity app. It changes when you strenghten your boundaries with yourself.

No journal prompt will save you if you refuse to be honest with yourself.

Tracking your habits is pointless if you keep "adjusting" your goals to make it look like you didn't miss a day.

Aesthetic routines look cute on Tiktok, but consistency is built when no one's watching.

Waking up early means nothing if you scroll for an hour instead of starting your day.

Self-boundaries are the unspoken rules you live by:

۶ৎ I will stop negotiating with my own procrastination.

۶ৎ I will not turn "I'm tired" into a free pass for every task I want to avoid.

۶ৎ I will keep the promises I make to myself, even when nobody else knows about them.

۶ৎ I will honor my rest without guilt but also honor my commitments without excuses.

Your glow up isn't about control —it's about trust. No amount of "soft life" aesthetics will outdo quiet power of showing up for yourself.

[ixhika-jsx]

Toxic study motivation^^

This is not a game. this is your freaking future. put in the hours, study, and become the best version of yourself. these excuses aren't going to cut it. Those hours you spent on social media? What did they ever get you - other than headaches, low self esteem, dark eye circles. You've always envied people for achieving so much in life, it's your turn. You won't be doing TikTok dances, or making Pinterest boards in the examination hall. You can sleep in the coffin. Stop taking this lightly.

[skylarstark4826]

Summary:

In an AU where Asajj Ventress survives the Dark Disciple novel, she and her lover Quinlan Vos find themselves taken from a small resistance on Kashyyyk and thrown into the middle of galactic affairs. Unbeknownst to either of them, much greater forces are at play, and neither is ready for what they are getting in to.

[diablaesque]

Strawberry Glaze Smoothie Recipe

This is totally inspired by Hailey Bieber's strawberry glaze skin smoothie but made for us girlies who definitely can't afford a $19 smoothie daily lol. I've noticed a difference in my skin since I started having this smoothie (almost) every day and I'm not one to gatekeep!

Ingredients

250ml almond or coconut milk (adjust for desired consistency)

1 ripe banana

80g strawberries (about 5-6 medium-sized strawberries)

1/4 avocado

2-3 dates, pitted

teaspoon maple syrup (adjust to taste)

1 serving of vanilla collagen powder (mine is from bulk - 15g)

1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla flavoring

1 tablespoon coconut cream

spoonful of strawberry syrup or glaze (optional, to taste)

Method

Peel the banana, pit the dates, and remove the stems from the strawberries.

In a blender, combine almond or coconut milk, banana, strawberries, avocado, dates, maple syrup, vanilla collagen powder, natural vanilla flavoring, and coconut cream.

Blend on high speed until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy. If the smoothie is too thick, you can add more almond or coconut milk to reach your desired consistency.

If you would like, drizzle in a spoonful of strawberry syrup at the bottom of your cup / glass before serving for extra strawberry flavour.

[mindfulstudyquest]

don't study because you need to. study because knowledge is power. study because they can never take it away from you. study because you want to know more. study because it enhances you. study because it grows you.

[uncanny-tranny]

I'm still so amazed at how far medicine has come for trans people... being able to take hormones and get surgeries that are life-saving and life-affirming are genuinely such amazing feats and I wish more people understood that. Like, even if those aspects of transition do not appeal to every trans person, it is still so important to recognize just how important it is that trans people have options.

If love were a language, it would be science.

[charmwasjess]

Not gonna lie seeing her do the little backward hand sweep and the Makashi elements with the curved hilt (am I seeing that right?!) is giving me Feelings 🥺

hi let's talk about her

Honestly I have so much to say about her. so much. so here's some of it

-Asajj (NOT VENTRESS THAT'S HER LAST NAME ISTG PEOPLE JUST HATE USING HER ACTUAL NAME AND IDK WHY I GUESS IT'S A COOL NAME BUT ASAJJ IS ALSO A COOL NAME AND)

-Asajj was last seen in canon in the Dark Disciple novel. Where she died. I would never recommend that book to anyone so if you haven't read it yet please don't. In short, after becoming a Bounty Hunter in The Clone Wars she grew out her hair, got a cool yellow Lightsaber and for some reason teamed up with Quinlan Vos to try and kill Dooku. They didn't manage to do it. And Asajj died (was fridged) trying to protect Quinlan. The Bad Batch will not contradict that, as was said by the creators. So this is just a summary for anyone who hasn't read it because I wholeheartedly believe that book is bad

-I have not watched a single Bad Batch episode in my life. As a disclaimer. I started the first one, watched their TCW arc and saw memes screenshots clips and spoilers but I do not know this show. I will watch it now that Asajj's there tho

-She does not have the same outfit anymore! It's a change, and we haven't gotten a clear look at her new design so idk how to judge it yet. Might be to look less recognizable, but it has a very different vibe than any of her prior outfits. There's a leftover shoulder pad and probably some other stuff from her last design but I feel like they kinda clash with the new one and tbb's design language in general. The Bounty Hunter look has a very TCWish feel to it and this one is a sharp turn in another, much more casual direction. I'm not inherently against it but I guess we'll see how it looks in action soon

-In my opinion the hair looks like shit. I don't think she should have hair ever. I don't understand why she can't be bald. Why is she bald when she's evil and has hair when she's a padawan (good) and when she is "redeemed"? guess we'll never know. It's a leftover from the cancelled Dark Disciple TCW arc design (and the Dark Disciple cover and promotional material ofc) and it's bad if you ask me but to each their own and if you like it good for you

-Her Lightsaber!!!!! Same case as the hair in terms of irl development but I like it so much better. The yellow just fits her character and it's pretty. Would love for her to find another one and get back to dual-wielding (I know that won't happen)

-The bag and pouches make me so happy as a design element do you think she carries a (tooka) cat in there

-Now, visually she looks great and the animation style is smoother and nicer than TCW (as is the quality), but what about the direction the character's going in? I didn't like her being dead before, but I felt like it was somewhat better than her being shoved into being a cameo character in new content. If you can't touch her after a certain point, you also can't mess her up. But I do wonder where they're going with her. A few questions:

-Asajj in canon is a directionless character. Also, a partially nonsensical and inconsistent character in her choices and storylines. I've talked about it a lot but in short she just feels messy. What's her purpose in life? Her motive? Her origin story doesn't really make sense, even. She's a Bounty Hunter, sure, but why? If all she wants is revenge on Dooku and maybe money (which was pretty much the case in Dark Disciple), what's she doing after the Empire? And more importantly, why?

-Obviously, the question I haven't asked yet because I don't like it: How the fuck is she alive? Nightsisters have a weird relationship with death but seriously, how?

-She's a Force User after the Rise of the Empire now, so what does he do about that? Is she founding The Path? Fucking around and finding out? Making a not-Jedi-not-Sith order with other force users she finds? Is the Empire after her? Do they know she's live?

-What about her girlfriend? Is Latts Razzi safe? Is she alright?

-Why is she in The Bad Batch show? Are we making her into a cameo character or is there a purpose? Why'd they bring her back? For fun? What is she doing after the show? Floating in dead space? Cameo-ing? Will we have a book?

-OK enough for tonight but if we see Quinlan Vos in the show I'll become violent (/neg). We probably will (he might just get mentioned idk).

[winningismyjob]

Don't wish for it,

Work for it.