sonvaillanceaa

[sonvaillanceaa]

i genuinely question if arno and élise could have had a truly healthy, long-term relationship. they love each other, yes. they check all the boxes for the star-crossed lovers. but there’s a disconnect between them. as arno accuses her, it may be the case that he loves her more than she loves him. he has this sort of idealized version of her in his head that puts her onto a pedestal that she isn’t really on. i think it’s very skewed. he has this idea of what they could be, what their lives could be, together, but it doesn’t feel to me that any of that is something élise could live with. there’s even a portion of one of the letters arno writes to his father, post-mortem, where he admits,  “ Perhaps I’ll never be able to hold all her heart, it is too filled with many other dreams and deeds and ventures. But she’ll have all of mine. ”  so in a way, he knows from the beginning that there’s some imbalance between them. they are not on level ground. even after learning she and her family were templars, arno continues to keep believing in this version of her that he knew when he was oblivious to all of her. which is, honestly, an untrue version of her. he didn’t truly know her then, but he hangs onto that. almost desperately. and i have this suspicion that if they really did try to go on together, should she not have died, it just ... would not have lasted. we know arno wants to try, and we know even élise does, given that  “ going forward isn’t necessarily an ending ”  but perhaps that’s all she wanted to do : try. in arno’s mind, hopeful as he is about the two of them, he reads it as a guarantee : they can and will still be together. he once again ignores the part where, just maybe, they aren’t truly meant to be together.  also none of this is to villainize élise for  “ not loving arno enough ”  or anything. it just seems that this is the nature of their relationship. élise is a very ambitious person and while arno has his own ambitions, it doesn’t seem that these shared values entirely line up with one another. which creates that disconnect and imbalance. if anything, it’s likely more a discussion of arno and tunnel vision. he puts a lot into this idea of a life with élise, rather than actual discussions being had about it. even if it was years before he fully knew about his history and the de la serre family history, it’s possible arno kind of ignored certain things because he was blinded by these ideas. part of his arc throughout the campaign is gaining a higher sense of understanding regarding life and reality. not becoming blinded by certain things. he has his whole speech about the creed at the end of the game, but i think there’s something there that could play into this idea that, for arno, it was never really the creed. it was élise :  “ Once I thought that meant we were free to do as we would. To pursue our ideals, no matter the cost. ”  considering, for most of the game, arno is fighting less for the brotherhood than he is for personal reasons ... it feels likely. 

[sonvaillanceaa]

since the first time i wrote arno, i’ve always been of the mind that léon is in arno’s life following dead kings. i want to make a more in-depth post later about léon’s position in arno’s life, especially once arno is married and has children. but the short version is arno views léon in this gray area between seeing him as a son of sorts and seeing him as almost a younger brother. their dynamic in dead kings, to me, reads a little more as older/younger brother. they have this very playful, attitude-filled dynamic that feels a little more like siblings than the parent-child relationship. which is interesting since arno is an only child  ( he grew up with élise, yes, but as arno was not treated as an equal with her, and was rather a favored member of the household staff, i have never read their relationship as being sibling-like ) . but i do see bits and pieces where arno does display this type of paternal attitude with léon. ultimately, the point is, i think arno would take a page from françois de la serre’s book and he would take léon in, take him back to paris. i almost can’t imagine a scenario where he wouldn’t, given his own personal history of his mother leaving him  ( like léon explaining how his mother left him at the orphanage )  and his father dying. he has a bit of a bleeding heart in that scenario — he’d see too much of himself in léon. 

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one of my absolute favorite combat finisher animations ever. it’s just so satisfying. really scratches the goopy goblin itch in my brain

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casual little PLOTTING CALL 

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𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃  &  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄    (a  series  of  nonverbal  prompts .   mature  themes  present ,   ‘ my ’  muse  belongs  to  the  one who  posted  the  meme  -  send   “ + REVERSE ”   to  reverse  the  prompts .)

→     𝐈 .    GENERAL

❛   hush .   raise  a  finger  in  a  gesture  to  silence  my  muse . ❛   sit .   gesture  for  my  muse  to  sit  down . ❛   door .   hold  a  door  open  for  my  muse . ❛   tap .   tap  my  muse  on  the  shoulder  to  garner  their  attention . ❛   hunger .   give  my  muse  something  to  eat  /  drink . ❛   cook .   present  my  muse  with  home - cooked  food . ❛   brush .   work  a  brush  /  comb  through  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   read .   silently  read  a  book  alongside  my  muse . ❛   hand .   hold  out  a  hand  for  my  muse  to  take . ❛   dressed .   help  my  muse  put  on  an  article  of  clothing . ❛   note .   give  my  muse  a  note  saying :   [ content ] . ❛   amplify .   turn  up  the  music  in  the  car .

→     𝐈𝐈 .    ANGST

❛   patch .   help  my  muse  patch  up  a  wound . ❛   night terrors .   hold  my  muse  after  they  wake  up  from  a  nightmare . ❛   company .   silently  sit  with  my  muse  to  comfort  them. ❛   hospital .   my  muse  is  told  that  yours  is  in  the  hospital . ❛   revelation .   show  my  muse  evidence  of  a  lie  they  told . ❛   indulge .   find  my  muse  drinking  to  cope . ❛   downfall .   find  my  muse  collapsed  on  the  ground . ❛   console .   comfort  my  muse  as  they  cry . ❛   nurse .   give  my  muse  company  in  the  hospital .

→     𝐈𝐈 .    AFFECTIONATE

❛   wink .   wink  at  my  muse .  ❛   wrap .   wrap  an  arm  around  my  muse’s  [ shoulders  /  waist ] . ❛   caress .   gently  caress  my  muse’s  face . ❛   tousle .   mess  playfully  with  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   chest .   place  your  head  on  my  muse’s  chest .    ❛   comb .   comb  fingers  through  my  muse’s  hair . ❛   grasp .   run  to  my  muse  &  jump  into  their  arms . ❛   lean .   lean  on  my  muse’s  shoulder . ❛   tender .   kiss  my  muse  on  the  [ forehead  /  cheek  /  nose ] . ❛   abrupt .   kiss  my  muse  out  of  the  blue . ❛   chaste .   chastely  kiss  my  muse . ❛   good morning .   kiss  my  muse  the  morning  after . ❛   volumes .   gaze  at  my  muse  in  a  way  that  silently  says  ‘i love you’ .

→     𝐈𝐈𝐈 .    VIOLENT

❛   strike .   [ slap / punch ]  my muse in the face . ❛   gun .   wield  a  gun  at  my  muse . ❛   twist .   twist  my  muse’s  arm  behind  their  back . ❛   throttle .   aggressively  wrap  your  hands  around  my  muse’s  throat . ❛   parch .   burn  my  muse  with  a  hot  object . ❛   take down .   forcefully  bring  my  muse  to  the  ground . ❛   gouge .   wield  a  sharp  object  at  my  muse . ❛  shunt .   shove  my  muse  backwards . ❛  stickup .   yell  at  my  muse  to  put  their  hands  in  the  air. ❛  shoot .   [ fatally  /  non-fatally ]   shoot  my  muse . ❛  stab .   stab  my  muse with a  [ knife / other object ].

→     𝐈𝐕 .    NSFW

❛   surprise .   send  an  unexpected  nsfw  image  to  my  muse . ❛   pin .   push  my  muse  against  a  [ wall,  table,  other ] . ❛   go down .   go  down  on  my  muse . ❛   choke .   intimately  wrap  your  hands  around  my  muse’s  throat . ❛   belt loops .   pull  my  muse  closer  by  their  belt loops . ❛   skinny dipping .   go  skinny  dipping  with  my  muse . ❛   rip .   tear  a  piece  of  clothing  from  my  muse’s  body . ❛   mark .   leave  a  mark  on  my  muse’s  body  [ specify where ] .

[sonvaillanceaa]

arno is strong. almost deceptively so. while he is muscular, his physique is somewhat on the leaner side, thanks to the climbing, but he has quite the strength level as well. which is partially due to training with and handling weapons of varying size, shape, and weight. but all the climbing, running, fighting, and weapons handling leaves him stronger than he may initially appear. 

[sonvaillanceaa]

started playing unity and had a tiny bit of trouble with the phantom blade...i love the sound it makes when shot tho its so satisfying

[sonvaillanceaa]

anakin skywalker — thebetrayal.

                        this   mission   has   gone   on   far   too   long   …   much   further   than   anyone   anticipated.   not   just   this   retrieving   mission   he’s   been   sent   on   with   arno,   but   this   whole   business   on   vanqor.   four   weeks   they’ve   been   battling   for   the   planet,   four   weeks   of   dodging   blaster   fire,   sleepless   nights   and   rations.   four   weeks   of   loss,   both   in   regards   to   men   and   sections   of   the   planet.   there   was   only   so   much   one   person   could   take   before   they   begin   to   crack   …   anakin   was   reaching   that   point.

 being   sent   on   this   mission,   he’s   still   battle   ready,   as   he   has   been   for   four   weeks.   remnants   of   the   battle   is   still   visible   on   his   jedi   robes,   which   are   muddy   and   dirtied   with   threads   coming   loose.   they   needed   to   do   this.   this   might   be   the   only   thing   that   can   push   the   separatists   out   on   vanqor   space   —   nothing   else   is   working.

 he’s   taken   from   his   thoughts   when   arno   raises   a  hand,   the   general   almost   walking   directly   into   him   but   stops   just   shy.   then   another   gesture   and   anakin’s   following   along,   slipping   beside   arno   in   the   doorway.   without   thought,   his   hand   has   fallen   to   his   lightsaber   hilt   hanging   from   his   belt   and   he   takes   a   tight   grip.   he’s   ready   …   and   then   it’s   over.   in   a   blink   of   an   eye,   arno   has   taken   down   the   two   individuals,   effortlessly.   anakin   steps   out   from   their   hiding   spot,   he’s   still   holding   onto   the   hilt,   his   eyes   looking   between   the   two   bodies   now   on   the   ground.

 ❝   did   they   teach   you   to   do   that?   ❞   he   asks,   disregarding   the   mention   of   the   keycard   for   now.   he’s   still   reeling   from   what   he   just   watched.   they,   meaning   the   jedi   like   him.   the   jedi   anakin   has   never   seen,   only   ever   heard   about.   ❝   remind   me   to   never   get   on   your   bad   side.   ❞   he   lets   go   off   his   hilt,   letting   it   hang   again  and   strides   over,   taking   the   keycard   from   arno’s   grasp   with   metal   fingers   and   continues   down   the   corridor.

              They are meant for this, aren’t they? Built, trained, prepared. Molded into different forms, through different means, but for the same goal : to fight. Fighting the wars others cannot, in ways others cannot. For Arno, sometimes the invisible sort, lurking beneath the surface, underneath the pain already present to the naked eye. And now intertwined, which is why Arno finds himself here, paired with allies that, until now, he was unsure he’d ever have such contact with.  (  ‘ We stay out of their way, they stay out of ours — that’s the idea, pisspot. We step in when they won’t. ’  )  It’s been quite the learning experience ...

              He smirks lightly, with a huff of laughter, at Anakin’s question. There is ego present there, but Arno knows how to humble himself  ( at times )  . Even still ...  “ Did you think your masters knew everything? ”  he teases, rising to his feet and peering at his fellow Jedi from underneath his hood.  ( And so marks the divide between them. )  One corner of his lips only rises further at the next comment while the keycard is plucked from his grasp. He follows suit, stepping over the bodies at their feet, quickly catching up at Anakin’s side.

              “ You have a plan to go with that keycard, then? ”  he asks, half out of genuine curiosity, and the other half wondering if they are about to be led into another avoidable altercation. Arno thinks he’d like the rest of this mission to be quiet — in and out. It isn’t the first place he’s snuck into, but he’d rather like to not have to fight his way back out the door.  ( Easier said than done. )  Anakin, he thinks, has different approaches to these things. Or so he’s gathering. 

[sonvaillanceaa]

ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY – 10/∞

[sonvaillanceaa]

i understand why it would be impractical and why the developers probably couldn’t do it, but imagine if the little section of the paris catacombs in unity were all connected and it literally was just one giant tunnel system underneath the entire map that you could use and explore

[sonvaillanceaa]

idk if it was explained but, to me, the helix rifts are like.. memories from descendants of arno’s within the direct familial line of the person that the original DNA sample came from. that DNA accesses arno’s memories, but there are other descendants there as well. so pieces of those other memories are able to be quickly accessed when needed, though unfinished since they aren’t being relived, so they aren’t properly synchronized. they don’t seem to be randomly chosen times just because they’re also paris.

so basically, some of arno’s descendants were still in paris as late as 1944.

[sonvaillanceaa]

George Seferis, tr. by Edmund Keeley & Philip Sherrard from, “Memory I.”

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i love the detail that it’s difficult and even a headache for arno to use his eagle vision when he’s drunk

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ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY – 1/∞

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everybody wants to rule the world

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#THE BATMAN  :  (   some triggering content may be present !     change pronouns to suit.     )

i don’t care what happens to me.

a new friend of yours?

don’t worry, honey.

who are you under there?

all it takes is fear and a little focused violence.

i wouldn’t be bothering you here, but your people keep telling me you’re unavailable.

don’t throw your life away.

things will get worse before it gets better.

you’re not my father.

i’m not so sure.

are you just hideously scarred?

no guns.

it can be cruel, poetic or blind.

hey guys, thanks for all the comments and tips on detonators.

your family has a history of philanthropy but as far as i can tell you’re not doing anything.

oh you’re really not as smart as i thought you were.

i’m well aware.

all you had was me.

if we don’t stand up to him, no one will.

i’m vengeance.

from your secret friend.

i thought i’d mastered all that.

gotham needs you to answer for the sins of your father.

get out of here or that suit’s gonna be full of blood.

i can take care of myself.

let’s get into some trouble.

yeah, man, that’s your thing

all these years, you lied to me.

the answer’s justice.

if this continues it won’t be long before you have nothing left.

fear is a tool.

the killer left this for you.

you came!

you have a lot of cats.

we all have our scars.

how am i part of this?

people need hope.

what have you done?!

mine or yours?

if you are justice, please do not lie.

i have a thing about strays.

bastard murders you and your reputation.

why is he writing to you?

i never thought i’d feel fear like that again.

who am i kidding, you’re already spoken for.

maybe we’re not so different.

i’ve been trying to reach you.

why don’t you come with me?

the riddler is asking for you.

when that light hits the sky, it’s not just a call, it’s a warning for them.

who are you hiding?

what the hell is this?

it has a nice ring.

you’ll see.

i’m just here to unmask the truth about this cesspool we call a city.

i don’t think that rat likes you.

vengeance won’t change the past.

you are a part of this too.

you know, you really could be doing more for this city.

you needed a father.

let’s play a game.

just me and you.

get into some trouble?

he moonlights as a cop.

what’s black and blue and dead all over?

you could have at least pulled that punch, man.

maybe this is all coming to an end.

it’s only gonna get worse for you.

what is the price for your blind eye?

oh you’re everything they say you are, aren’t ‘cha? we both are.

[sonvaillanceaa]

arno is so smart. he will be running through an exploding building that he set on fire himself and realize “maybe i should have thought this through” like omg king you’re so smart you figured it out