howtotrainabraincell

[howtotrainabraincell]

Here’s mine! @a-little-buggy

Top left: A New York bridge around Christmas time that gives me late 80’s/early 90’s

Bottom left: My puppy Buddy taking a nap on the couch (goofy lil boy)

Top right: My other puppy Holly napping in her bed (she always sleeps like that so carefree and it’s adorable)

Bottom left: My current screensaver for Fall! 🍁🍁🍁

Tagged by the lovely @belbeten and @ladyvaderpixetc to share 4 non selfies, thank you very much!

Interesting sky, petrified tree stumps, demon cat and a nice beach.

Zero-pressure tagging @thenwhatthefukcisthis @valeriley @oneeyemoji @ladysarai and anybody else who wants to play.

[howtotrainabraincell]

I Have Realized Something Very Sad

I've been watching a Turkish tv show called  Muhteşem Yüzyıl, (Magnificent Century) - which I love very much. It's great - not entirely historically or fashion-wise accurate BUT it's still great, and I've actually learned a good deal of Turkish from it.

But the sad thing I've noticed is this; barely any of the Sultana's (if they had a child and were given this title to become a member of the sultan's family that is)/concubines... their stories of origin were totally erased.

They're barely known as the pretty much glorified hoe of the sultan and then their stories are completely erased. Barely anything is known about Roxelana/Hurrem, and (even tho I DESPISE her character) Mahidevran doesn't have much either, even Suleiman's own MOTHER doesn't have a lot of info on her background. Historians speculate where they were from but don't know for sure and that SUCKS.

These girls and women were forced into sexual slavery and erased plus written over, when they did nothing to deserve such a thing! Forced from home, their families, their countries, forced to speak a language not their own, forced to lay with a stranger, forced to have children and forced to be a sexual slave/servant who sits there and rots if they don't have the favor of the sultan and they waste their life!

They could go out, explore, make their own way, be in their own countries and homes, fall in love WILLINGLY, and live a life that they CHOOSE (within reason as women had no rights back then smdh). But no, their lives are wasted by a guy that sits on a throne and believes himself to be such hot shit that he has to have a bunch of women attend him.

I do love this show but... this is a hard pill to swallow. A lot of compartmentalization is required. And this happened everywhere. Ever read about Asian emperors? I read that one Chinese emperor had 20,000 CONCUBINES - WHY DO YOU NEED THAT? It's no wonder there's a population crisis over there! Emperors forced women to be theirs and whether he was with them or not they had to be loyal to him unto their own FORCED DEATH! They weren't living regular lives and having families to secure the future modern generations of China. They were rotting away in a palace lonely and then forced to unalive themselves, when the emperor died!

The shows are good I will admit but it's sad and cruel and just plain stupid that all of that went on. It makes me see the reason why a lot of concubines were so awful to each other - it's certainly not an excuse, but I think I'd be a hostile biotch if you ripped me out of my country and forced me to be the hoe of a monarch/sit there and waste and rot my life away never being able to do what I truly wish.

It was fear, anger and an attempt of survival.

I will also say that if I were forced to be in the harem (not that I ever would cause I am OOGLY GOOGLY) I would SO want to serve Hurrem. FR I love her so much she's hilarious and sassy and just fabulous! :D

But this would LEGIT be me anytime Mahidevran tried to bait Hurrem - GURL HOW YOUR TEMPER DIDN'T GET YOU KILLED I'LL NEVER KNOW - (ofc I know the sultan was madly in love with her LOL)

[howtotrainabraincell]

howtotrainavraincell

ALMOST GOT IT - missed the b lol BUT I don’t mind too much bc it’s gives it a vampire kinda twist 😂

GAME IDEA REBLOG THIS AND TRY TYPING YOUR URL EYES CLOSED

VD&diydgbyt-buh

[howtotrainabraincell]

im so srs humans were made for art and friend and food and beddy bye. i mean this

[howtotrainabraincell]

Just wanted to say the Malik posts made my days. Every time I get a notification from tumblr I get excited hoping it’s more of your amazing content.

What would he be like as a lover (18+)

How would Malik react to finding out he’s going to be a dad?

Maybe meeting his kid?

You are an inspiration to me!

@paws-of-the-quill Hi hon! I'm so glad you enjoy them!! (got me giggling and kicking my feet in the air over here lol) Those ones are coming, I promise. I've been doing research and trying to dig deep and really think about how Malik is as a man bc we all just know him as an assassin and the Dai.

But I'm so happy and flattered that you like my writing so much! I've been worried that maybe I wasn't capturing Malik the way he deserves to be - and that's also a contributing factor to why the posts have slowed down a bit.

NEVER thought I would ever be an inspiration to someone (I'm weeping from joy)

[howtotrainabraincell]

Pretty Boy John Donovan

How oLd even IS John Donovan?!

I've looked up his wiki fandom page (bc yes I'm a freak like that jUdGe mE I DARE you) AND - he's not given a DOB. BUT we DO know that he graduated from Princeton University in 1953...

For frame of reference... Lincoln Clay this man's BESTIE was born in January of 1945... making him 8 years old (based off of Princeton being an American uni and we usually graduate in May/June so Lincoln would in fact be 8 already)

For John to go to school I'm assuming he was either 17 or 18 when he graduated high school - depending on if he was born pre- May or a summer baby making him a younger graduate - and 21-22 when he graduated from Princeton.

THIS would mean that taking away Lincoln's age from Donovan's -expected - age at the time of his college graduation, John could have potentially been 13 or 14 when Lincoln was born.

MEANING that John Donovan could POTENTIALLY be 13 or 14 years older than his best friend - AND share an age difference with his bestie the same way Henry Tomasino does! (Henry is 14 years older than Vito btw)

[howtotrainabraincell]

Mafia Fandom

People over here talking about "Mafia Old Country" coming out in August which is cool and all but...

Has anyone ever thought that perhaps one of the appearances of a character from before could be Henry Tomasino or his father?

Everyone says that it could be Leo Galante or Frank Coletti or Ennio Salieri, but what about Silvio Tomasino? I've only seen that theory uttered once, and Henry would have been a boy (or possibly not even born yet OOF -) depending on the exact year that this new game is set.

I'm guessing that the appearance might be significant enough to warrant the studio saying "hey someone from another game will make a reappearance".... so perhaps not but I just wondered.

It would be cool if we got see a young Henry...

[howtotrainabraincell]

More head canons you say??? I got your back like chiroprac - Malik Al Sayf HC's

(He's so sassy oml I love him)

WARNING: This is LONG lol I had a LOT of ideas

As an apprentice -

Right off the bat it does not matter if Malik has feelings for her yet or not, he will NOT tolerate disrespect towards her. Ever. A scolding, verbal smack down, humiliation/ embarrassment, and extra training will be the prescribed treatment for such stupidity and ill-mannered disrespect.

They're assassins, not heathens with no sense of proper conduct. What is wrong with this fool for disrespecting a woman who has done nothing to him?

Personally, I believe that he's never held the gender prejudice, and this is one of the many reasons why he has NEVER liked Abbas (he thinks women are nothing more than objects of temptation, sorcery and occasionally pleasure). He has also believes that a man is measured by how he treats those who are considered 'beneath'/'lower'/'weaker' than he is.

Malik knows of course that she can defend herself - it is one of the many reasons why he fell in love with her after all, but he also knows that while she supports the brotherhood, she does not wish to harm anyone. He feels pride at her fierceness... even if she is not his to be proud of.

Now this doesn't mean she won't dish out a butt kicking when necessary... say the first time when Malik witnessed a novice be crude to her?

Before he could even get a word of reprimand out for their disgusting words, she was on them like sweetness is on jasmine. Without ever even lifting her head from the scroll she was studying she tore the novice to shreds! Malik could hardly keep his mouth from falling open - and when the novice attempted to put her in her place because she "couldn't talk to him like that"?

The way this man's heart fluttered in his chest at the sight of her flushing red - not because of embarrassment but because of anger at the disrespect? He would be ashamed to admit that he felt something much deeper and primal stirring within him... Malik never thought he would be so attracted to a woman taking her shoe off and just HURLING IT at someone's head.

She gave him a stern talking to about he should not speak to women like that and even made the novice bring her shoe back!

Now Malik is a composed and collected man... but he just could NOT stop laughing after the novice was tossed out on his ear with a small and red, sandal mark on his face.

As his lover -

If an assassin or novice is STUPID enough to insult, demean, belittle, mock, make fun of, or be crude to his woman? They better be right with the Lord because they're fixing to meet him!

If it's any of those other things - if popcorn had existed Malik would be getting a bowl and sitting down for a show to watch his lover obliterate the moron. But if they're crude to her? If they leer and flirt and make jokes that involve her honor, her sacredness, her purity?

Malik shuts that merde down so fast the novice scarcely has time to blink before they are jerked up by the collar of their robes and hauled violently outside. The first time it happens she sits there in shock, hearing a loud thud against the wall outside. Malik had punched them into a wall LOL

This doesn't happen often. Word spreads quickly of such a collected man losing his temper.

She knows that Malik respects her. That he would kill for her. That he would die for her. He has let her know time and time again that he will defend her the same way she defends him - and sometimes she lets him because there are days when she needs his strength more than she needs to be strong.

His reaction depends on who it is that is disrespecting and being crude to her. If it's a regular novice they get hauled out like the trash they wish to speak like. But if it's say Altair? Being dismissive or rude or condescending? The ONE TIME Altair dared act even a TAD bit condescending to Malik's woman he near about lost his head via book being hurled at him.

Anyone that Malik has issues with will not speak ill of the love of his life. Or they will suffer the consequences no matter who they are.

She worries that Malik's love for her could get him into trouble. Even Altair has mentioned to him that his actions could negatively impact his standing as an assassin, but quite frankly Malik does not give a damn. He never conceived the thought that he would be blessed to have such a woman by his side, and if he ever did that, she would be his. He will not let her be disrespected. Ever.

Word did reach the old man on the mountain of Masyaf eventually though, but something strange happened... Al Mualim actually condoned Malik for his defensive actions of his love. Stating that "a woman who will bear the future generations of the Brotherhood should be respected and exalted".

Color them both surprised, yet relieved.

He did almost kill Abbas once for suggesting that he could "bed the Israeli whore better than a cripple could". He didn't almost kill him because Abbas had called him a cripple - he almost killed him because NO MAN is allowed to speak of his beloved that way.

As if she's common street trash and worth nothing. Plus, the bastard didn't even get her nationality right! She's Greek!

He does not want another man thinking about his woman or looking at her in a way that utters any hint of something unpure. To know that snake bastard himself was boasting about bedding his woman? That he was thinking of her in that manner? Touching her that way? Abbas never spoke of her out loud again after that altercation.

Overall, it is a deadly combination to not just disrespect her but also be crude towards her. But if one were to be crude and nasty to her behind his back? And think they can get away with it? WRONGO.

HEADCANON

I personally head canon that someone was awful to her and made her feel violated by being crude to her, and when Malik found out he just saw red. Not just out of the love her bears for her, and the possessive desire to keep her safe from any harm - but also out of heartache from watching her cry silently.

She thought no one had witnessed her tears of revolt, shame and fear. But Malik did.

He had finished early that evening and looked for her to ask if she wished to play Nardashir with him... only to find her curled up amongst the pillows clinging to one and sobbing quietly.

The Dai left a bloom of jasmine, some fresh baked mshabak and an orange. He was quiet giving her the space that she needed. It broke his heart to know that she had cried herself to sleep. He asked one of the kinder novices who helps in the library to check in on her periodically and to get her some food when she woke up.

Malik did not know if she would accept his embrace, though he wanted to hold her badly and comfort her through her troubles. He already knew what she was crying over. Rumors had been circulating thanks to a certain loud mouthed new arrival from Masyaf. A novice who had no idea of the extremely dangerous territory he had just stepped into.

That assassin (a novice at the time) never knew who attacked him that night. He just knew he could no longer see out of his left eye, his face was horribly scarred, and his nose had been broken in three different places.

And Malik knew how many blows he delivered. One for each of the tears she had shed.

Years later she has still never asked him. But she has a feeling that Malik was the one who made that assassin terrified of his own shadow. No part of her felt afraid. She felt more loved knowing that someone would fight for her.

Even if it was only in the shadows.

[howtotrainabraincell]

Question about AC1 Malik

How many kids do we think he would have?

I personally head cannon (keep in mind I am delulu and he's not dead in my world) that he has five children with his beloved. Four when they were young and the fifth came when they were older.

Canonically he had one son - I'm keeping him because he has been dubbed precious bby. Buuuuutttt furthermore - I'm thinking an additional two sons and two daughters.

The cannon son would be born first. Then a daughter. Then the two sons and their last child born when they're older would be a little girl.

Shoutout to my beloved @a-little-buggy for helping me brainstorm because she gave the beautiful head canon of one of Malik's daughters taking over his map making business - which I just fell IN LOVE with.

[howtotrainabraincell]

I'm on a bender - I mean blender - I mean IDK

Malik Al-Sayf is an artist with words.

No one will change my mind.

He can write - and write well.

Does he do poetry? Occasionally.

Does he write love letters? ABSOLUTELY.

I will never not believe that Malik never wrote love letters to the woman he loved. It's my head cannon and no one shall take me from it.

[howtotrainabraincell]

Mafia 2

Has anyone ever felt that out of Vito Scaletta, Henry Tomasino and Joe Barbaro - that Vito is the most domestic?

I don't why but that man screams 'Give me an apron and I'll be good in the kitchen'.

[howtotrainabraincell]

Malik Al Sayf as a Lover

for @paws-of-the-quill

This one will have some freakin adorable stuff so be warned in advance!

He enjoys having tea with her in those quiet, slow mornings and evenings. Making eyes at her over their cups and hearing her adorable giggle. Malik has come to realize that his hand feels empty without hers in it. At some point during their quiet time, his hand will find hers, or touch her arm or come to rest on her thigh.

Hearing her soft shuffling around him, the soft scratch of the parchment they work on together, the scent of incense from the day before caught in the locks of her hair, mixed with her natural intoxicating scent. The slow, sweet kisses they share in the morning before anyone can annoy them.

Malik could lay beside her and watch her rest for hours. His brown eyes trailing over her every feature, reaching over to twist the locks of her hair around his fingers, trace his fingertips over her cheeks. He loves adoring her and appreciating every tiny detail that he can.

When they wake up in the morning he loves the sound of her voice softly asking him if he’s up yet. It makes his heart race in his chest when she asks “Habbibi are you awake?”.

He doesn’t open his eyes at first before her shadow covers his face… then suddenly he’ll grab her, flip her over making her laugh and grin down at her. With a sweet and firm kiss he confirms that he is indeed very much awake.

They lay there for a moments speaking softly to one another. (He could die from cuteness overload from how she says that she missed him while they were sleeping! 🥹 He missed her too)

She has lots of laughs in the morning as Malik steals kiss after kiss as she helps him with his robes (she insists on doing it for him wanting to baby him - he LOVES it 😂) She’s just trying to tie his robes and the assassin is all “Come here and let me kiss you!” 😘😘😘

When she started making them breakfast in the mornings he was surprised not used to having anything until later. Not with her! He’s well fed and it’s quite common for her to hold a spoon or some kind of finger food up for him to try or eat.

His face the first time she put a spoon of omelet under his nose was PRICELESS. (He can and WILL eat an entire spread that she makes for lunch lol - do not underestimate how much this man loves her cooking)

He is ALL TOO AMUSED when giving his beloved lessons in Arabic. Holding her hand and helping her write the script, reminding her that Arabic is right to left and not left to write. Sometimes it’s uneven or she misses something, but he feels so proud to see her leaning his language.

Sure he chuckles softly and teases her when she gets something wrong after a gentle correction, but God help anyone who insults her or makes fun of her. Because it’s not pretty 😰😬

He writes love letters. I refuse to believe otherwise. This man is eloquent, intelligent, well educated, witty and from the Levant - he has charming smoothness running through his beautiful Syrian veins.

His letters come to her like puzzles. Her native tongue isn’t Arabic but Malik will write to her in Arabic and let her solve it. He trusts her to do it on her own and then come to him with a sweet knowing smile, flattered, flustered and appreciative of his romantic correspondence.

Don’t. You. DARE tell me that Malik Al-Sayf does not bring flowers to his woman. He presses jasmine for her in books that he shares with her, carries her favorites in the pockets of his robes and come up behind her to twist and braid them into her hair.

When she and Malik have to be parted for a time she rubs a little bit of oil lightly along the parchment to carry her scent to him. Needless to say Malik sleeps with it next to him in her spot. Quite a few times the scent of her lingering next to him, has convinced him that she’s actually there. He rolls over to sleepily scoop her into his arms, only to hear a crinkle and feel the dryness of paper.

He hates that she sometimes gets injured taking care of him. Part of him still carries a bit of guilt from the time when she was burned by the oven fire when trying to bake him pita bread. Malik’s even hunted down a special kind of teapot, to avoid his love being popped by hot water, after he held her as she cried from being scalded.

He’ll rub ointment on her injuries and tenderly kiss the tips of her poor fingers when she accidentally pricks herself with her sewing needle. It’s the least he can do considering it only happened because she was trying to see a tear in his robes or make him another shirt.

Malik will never admit it… but he’s pretty much a Syrian cat lol. He will lounge in her lap and practically purr as she runs her fingers through his hair (that he grew out for her) If she scratched her nails against his scruff? He’s GONE. So high in the clouds nothing can reach him.

You wouldn’t think so at first… but I firmly believe Malik to be a lover sleeper. By this I mean he wants her ALL OVER HIM. He loves it when she rests her head on his chest just so where he can smell the incense in her hair. Loves how she sometimes curls closer to him in her sleep sleepily murmuring either nonsense or checking on him.

It’s the best thing for him when she hitches her leg across his and clings to him. Because he clings right back and will for as long she’ll have him.

[howtotrainabraincell]

THIS.

I've always thought that it was completely normal to have more than one aesthetic!

Ancient Egyptian core/Egyptomania (which fueled the art deco movement another FAV), pirate core is DIVINE, so is cottage core...

Anglo Gothic... Arabian nights... Baroque... Classic lolita... Cryptidcore... Film Noir... Edwardian... Victorian... Femme Fatale... Fairy Grunge... Italian Renaissance... Italian mafia... Japonisme... Korean coy beige... Mermaid... Neoclassicism... Old Hollywood... Post apocalyptic (especially if it has TWD/TLOU vibes...) - Princesscore... Roaring 20's, Rococo, Romanesque... Southern gothic, Science academia, Steampunk... Twilight Autumn core... Venetian Carnival... Victorian goth, vampire, Viking, Vintage Americana (legit Lana Del Ray)... Wabi Sabi core... Y2K, Yandere, Yakuza...

Here's the website I used to find them if you want to look!

List of Aesthetics | Aesthetics Wiki | Fandom

My aesthetic is if a pirate retired to the French countryside and became an artist and had a child.

[howtotrainabraincell]

To my Anon Assassin's Creed buddy

Oh my heck, oh my heck, oh my heck - ME TOOOOO. I love EVERYTHING about Syndicate and it's hard for me to fathom why a lot of people don't like ittttt. The way they talk to the horses, the outfits, the sass, the Victorian era London (minus the sadder more realistic parts), the missions, the gear, ACK - BUT AC is the first video game I've ever played EVER (it def got frustrating at first but I'm getting better over time yay). Gotta say I have the Ezio trilogy (haven't played it yet) and I LOVE Ezio lol he's so Italian and sassy I just - hahaha. Have all the AC books, the Ezio trilogy, AC3, and the Black Flag and Rogue bundle.

I legit only have like ONE other friend who talks about AC with me and she's been an absolute angel - but always happy to have another AC friend :) Also no worries about being anonymous! It's not cumbersome at all! Gotta do what you need to keep yourself safe and comfortable online and I totally get that.

But since you're willing to talk Haytham Kenway - LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS CHEESE LOVIN BRITISH MAN :D

[howtotrainabraincell]

oh!! although I suppose I should mention i’ve read bits and pieces of ac forsaken !! wanna read it all eventually but honestly atp how I’m feeling abt the game idk if I ever will haha 😅 i’ve read up until right before he comes to america (ig RIGHT pre game) and then resumed when I started actually playing the game and got to him seeing hickey in jail and then !!! connor !!! lol

Ohhh okay! Just wondered if you had read the book/played the game bc I wanted your opinion on some things but if not that’s okay!

Man’s angy he gotta be in the rain when he could be inside drinking tea, reading Templar garbage and snacking on some cheese 🫕

[howtotrainabraincell]

HAPPY FRYE DAAYYYY

If you don’t stop being so cute I’m gonna have to ~ 💕👹😫💕

Me whenever anybody mentions the Frye twins

So sassy ~ 😭👹😭

[howtotrainabraincell]

Hello again dear blog visitor!!

Hi bby I’m happy to hear from you again!! 💕💕💕

Thank you for your insight I will definitely keep it in mind and thanks for the response!! Starrick totally does seem like the kind to do everything you said lol

I had some more things I wanted to ask you if you want to answer it - do you have any desire to discuss another British grandmaster? Say Haytham Kenway? I can’t seem to find many people who wish to discuss Templars 😭

Don’t be shy send me le paragraphs 👀👀👀

Look at his dork ass HAHAHAHA

Creepy cheese loving freako British man…