[Ruthan Good]

SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING!

As is incredibly evident, SE excels at writing the following:

Karsa
Malazan soldiers of all varieties
Yedan Derryg
Many many other things
Pairs of characters - friends/companions/spouses

This article is about the latter. As much as we love hearing the word WITNESS, as much as we get giddy at Hellian antics or Yedan Derryg's badassery (that's more me), so many of us love to see two particular Letherii talk about food, or two 7 cities natives scheming to save the world from itself. This excellent writer is particularly adept in writing pairs of characters, playing their individual personalities against each other, sometimes words don't even need to be said. Some stand out and are integral to the plot, some are incidental and yet incredibly enjoyable to see. Below I will list some of the more obvious ones, i.e. my top 5, and you can all decide what ones I've missed. In loose order of appearance/importance/relevance/no order at all:

Shadowthrone and The Rope
Ammanas and Cotillion
Kellanved and Dancer
Each has three names. Incidentally, Ammanas (Ammeanas) and The Rope are the ones used the least. The two characters embody Malazan Book of the Fallen, along with Fiddler, Trull, Rake, Karsa and Tavore. If there ever was a TV show, these two would be played by "inexplicable shadowy cloud", Morgan Freeman and younger Morgan Freeman, and someone else equally or more expensive. They would make guest appearances that would send shivers down the viewers' spines. We would watch every episode and hope that this is one where they appear. Shadowthrone's madness is second most endearing thing after Cotillion's newfound humanity. If there was ever a "three", which there weren't many of in MBOTF, then Traveller/Dissembrae/Dassem is the honourable third. Two (and a half) scenes with all three of them in the same shot, in RotCG and TtH and my mouth was watering.

Quick Ben and Kalam
This particular couple only really were together in real time in books 1,4,6 and 10, and properly only in 1 and 10. And yet in passing mentions of their collaborations and the sheer awesomeness of these characters' solo feats the two hold a legendary status among the Malazans and the fans. Quick Ben's mysterious and oft-debated origins and brain-pulverising schemes and Kalam's pure physical strength and agility left many a NWN (my only real exposure to D&D rules) player clueless at which class either of these would fit in.

Tehol and Bugg
Well, seriously, do I need to say it? I haven't got the quote-fu, but the wooden spoons, the chicken, Shurq's vagina and Ublala's penis, and the food, oh lords of Kobol, the meals!!! Bugg's cry! The exchanged at the end of MT>

Trull and Onrack
Tragedy, shock, the most tearful events for me personally come from these two. The emotional punches in RG hit me like nothing else, one after the other, especially with the welcome addition of QB and Deadge (Dead Hedge) to reflect Onrack's transformation and Trull's fate. I have to say that Trull is the only truly heroic good character in the entirety of the books cycle. And yet... $%^&ing Errant!!!!

Fiddler and Hedge
Might be higher on some lists, but Fiddler is much better as his own character, even as a leader of sorts. That being said, their reunion and the bits that followed in RG and in the last two books touched me deep, too. True bro love. They took the broath. They swore on the bro code. They wore the brobes.

Honourable mention:
Kindly and Pores
Hilarious! Absolutely brilliant. Also, £$%^ Blistig! (After reading a comment on TOR Malazan Reread page, Kurtwood Smith is Kindly for me now). So yeah, the two are a comedic duo to rival Tehol and Bugg, and frankly, if Pores was proclaimed Pores the First King of Letherii, I probably would have put him in the top 5.

These are the big'uns. There are many others, but not ones I can write something about, from the heart. You have Icky and Mappo, Stormy and Gesler (to the end), Throatslitter and Deadsmell, Hellian and Urb, Koryk and Smiles, Crockus/Cutter and Apsalar, Silchas and Fear and Udinaas (three, cheating, I know).

So if anybody here have someones else to mention, or to agree or disagree (well £$%^ off then) or comment, please do so.

[Kanubis]

Oooh for me the top five would be:

Fid & Hedge

Trull and Onrack

Tehol and Bugg

Rake and Brood - not so much coverage of their actual relationship, but it's hinted at and Brood's sorrow in TTH seems so deep.

Pithy and Brevity - not an obvious choice but I love their relationship.

Aside from that:

Cotillion and Shadowthrone... personally I felt that while I loved their scenes, their relationship was increasingly one of convenience and shared ambitions and goals rather than true friendship.

Oh, and Icarium and Mappo should get a special mention I guess.

Also, Karsa and Torvald were an awesome combo.

[worry]

Throatslitter, Deadsmell, and Widdershins...it's a trio! And a welcome one at that.

One of my favorite pairs is Telorast and Curdle, I love the elliptical nature of their arguments, and their macabre senses of humor.

[Ruthan Good]

I like it, especially Pithy and Brevity, considering that Lightfall was among my most favourite bits of the entire series, I am surprised I missed them.

And yes, Karsa and Torvald was like a brief love affair: powerful, passionate, fulfilling and completing, and yet oh so brief, and if not for it's brevity it would not be the same, for it was the moment that made it blush during summer, and if the moment stretched, it autumn would fall and it would wither and yellow and die out.

On an unrelated note, as of now (in UK) and 4 hours ago (in Moscow) I am 22. Completely off topic, but still.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

worrywort, on 29 March 2013 - 11:05 PM, said:

One of my favorite pairs is Telorast and Curdle, I love the elliptical nature of their arguments, and their macabre senses of humor.

Ive always imagined them speaking with cockney accents. Like the henchmen in 101 dalmatians.

This post has been edited by Spoilsport Stonny: 30 March 2013 - 03:53 AM

[Nevyn]

Tehol and Bugg rock.

My favourite ST and Cotillion moment is actually ICE's from Blood and Bone after they talk to T'riss on the boat. Mostly because it sounds like a conversation between SE and ICE on writing the books.

Spoiler

"What was that all about?" Dancer asked, rather irritated. "A warning? A warning about what?"

Shadowthrone gave another negligent flick of his hand. "That? Oh I just throw those out. it confuses them."

.....

Ammanas set off again. His slippered feet shuffled through the dust. After a time he cleared his throat. 'So what do you think that damned Azathanai meant - the throne? What sort of nonsense is that?" His tiny eyes darted about from one shadow to another. "You don't think it's true, do you?'

Dancer smiled as if somehow secretly pleased with his cohort's unease. He gave a mimicked negligent wave. "That? Oh, I think she just tossed that off to confuse you."

Now that I read it, its odd that Ice calls Shadowthrone by his ascended name but Dancer by his mortal one. Oh well, at least it was funny.

Golan and Thorn from that book were pretty good too.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Spoilsport Stonny, on 30 March 2013 - 03:52 AM, said:

worrywort, on 29 March 2013 - 11:05 PM, said:

One of my favorite pairs is Telorast and Curdle, I love the elliptical nature of their arguments, and their macabre senses of humor.

Ive always imagined them speaking with cockney accents. Like the henchmen in 101 dalmatians.

Yay! It wasn't just me who thought that!

They were one of my favourite pairings.... also Pithy and Brevity and QB and Kalam stuck out for me.

[worry]

Skwish and Pully are obviously in that same boat with Tel and Curdle. Very entertaining and still wicked as hell, but unfortunately not enough screen time to rival the bigger pairs. Love Pithy and Brevity too, kinda the wry humor and grab-life-by-the-nuts attitude...plus they have that steely kind of dedication you get with Picker and Blend.

[Cyclorrhapha]

Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. Also enjoyed POVs from ICEs Skinner and Cowl, Murk and Sour, Kiska and Tayschreen, Ipshank and Manask (just to name a few).

This post has been edited by Cyclorrharpha: 31 March 2013 - 03:10 AM