#Assassin Culture

[wyked-ao3]

the assassin's guild who probably won't be mentioned in book one but plots change lol

The current assassin's king

TPKODR tag list

@thatuselesshuman @gioiaalbanoart @lychhiker @goth-automaton

@thecomfywriter @evilwriter37 @saebasanart @the-golden-comet

@mauannacreates @kind-lion @alinacapellabooks @kuebiko-writing

@kaeru483 @differentnighttale @theink-stainedfolk

@unstableunicornsofasgard @mysticstarlightduck

[ahollowyear]

A collection, feel free to add, and if you know the artist (and the artist wants to be known) LMK in comments, thx.

[parasiticstars]

nooooo little chronically online leftist don’t fall for the media’s pervasive purity testing and villainizing that’s specifically made to divide us and keep us fighting amongst ourselves when we should be focusing on getting the boot off our throats

[damian-lil-babybat]

"My Anatolia" & "My Alexander"

If DC remained truthful to their own canon, and let Talia lied about the miscarriage/abortion instead (like before the retcon, which the author admitted to have misremembered details for iirc), then my OTP since "Batman: The Animated Series", would have not crushed and burn like the city of Alexandria, rendered to ashes and dust that it could never be fully revived in canon.

Based on this panel from Boy Wonder (2024) by Juni Ba.

Headcanon: This is the rose of taif, you cannot convince me otherwise 😭

[nenestansunsthings]

having svsss au ideas beyond my station

thinking. shang qinghua goes on a mission as a young disciple to some town in fuckoff nowhere and finds himself in the qiu household. and there he finds a young shen jiu, undergoing the plot he originally intended for him and hadn't realised had become real and he's so young oh god hes so young why is he so small what do you mean that part was real, he hadn't kept it why is it real—

and he panics and sneaks him the Fuck out of that house

and he's not sure what to do but surely sending him to cang qiong will fuck up something in the plot and he can't come under even more investigation and cang qiong tryouts dont happen for months anyway and his system would probably never allow it (it doesnt. it would interfere with yue qingyuans story) but shen jiu is refusing to stay anywhere near this place and wants to learn cultivating to protect himself make sure nothing like this ever happens again and sqh panics harder and

calls mobei jun.

okay. on second thought, maybe this was a bad idea. but he stumbles over himself and shushes baby shen jiu's very understandable freaking out and asks his king for the first thing hes ever asked for other than his own life.

is there any way this human child could learn cultivation in the demon world?

[batty4her]

This morning, I mentioned the assassination to my coworkers. 2/3 of them said they would turn in the shooter for the reward money, and I think it says a lot about capitalism as a whole simply for the simple fact that Brian Thomason has a body-count of people I feel it would be impossible to count that he has killed due to his selfishness, laziness, and overall greed.

Not one person I have seen has been upset about his death. Not one. In fact, when they announced his murder on Facebook, the majority of reactions to it were out of the (last seen) 65k+ reactions, just over 58k were laugh reactions. The GP is not unhappy this man is dead.

It’s the fact they know the GP has suffered in the hands of (capitalism) Brian Thompson, and still beg for their help in the name of reward money. They’re asking a public that has been brutalized and robbed by this man to help find him and are only offering them a measly 60 thousand dollars to anyone who has any information that will lead to his arrest. Money that will probably go back to paying debts — some maybe caused by Brian Thompson and his team.

$60k.

That won’t even buy you a house.

So sure, turn him in for that money. That money they stole and are giving back to you. But just like I seen someone say — this is is like Katniss shooting the arrow up into the arena.

This is why capitalism continues to keep devastating the population of the world, not just the American population. Conquer, divide, control.

Raise a glass to the new world, it only gets scarier from here, folks.

[thou-babbling-brook]

I can’t believe canonically this holiday season Basim can go see Wicked and Sonic 3. I hate ac lore.

[caffeinatedvigilantewriter]

So you know how Danny is head cannoned to have two obsessions

Protection and Space

So what if Dani also had two obsessions

I haven’t watched the show, but to my understanding, she immediately went off and started traveling the world, so I would assume that her main obsession would be exploration.

But for her second obsession with would be culture.

But to my understanding, there’s a lot to explore about culture, like history, food, combat, fashion, religion, etc.

This gives any content creator a lot of opportunities to explore how Danis travels affected her political view and world view, in comparison to Danny, who probably didn’t leave the USA (at least not that I know of) she would have a better understanding of what people wanted and need to be happy, who would make her a better ruler of the Ghost zone than Danny would be.

This also gives a lot of crossover opportunities.

For example, what if Dani ended up joining the League of Assassins (bc when has a Fenton actually cared about their wellbeing?) and she meets Jason, Damian, Talia, Cass(?)

To them? She would be a major enigma. A mysterious girl that wants to joins the LOA, has a strange connection with the pits and takes every opportunity to learn different styles of combat? They needed to figure her out immediately.

Unfortunately, she vanished before they could investigate her, and that put a pause on the investigation.

Years later, she and her (never mentioned before) brother randomly appear in Gotham with fake names, traumatic backstory and the Wayne family adoption traits.

Any type of media is welcomed as long as you tag and comment :)))

[solitaireships]

I feel like I should say since there's been a recent uptick in a lot of communities I'm in/see stuff from a lot of white people pretending to be Asian, but you are not welcome here if you are in anyway stealing from Asian cultures for clout or the aesthetics of it

This includes if you're white and you give your self inserts Asian names, I truly do not care if your f/o is from an anime, you should not be using an Asian name under any circumstances. I hate that whenever I see someone using an Asian name online, I feel like I have to start searching their account to see if they're actually Asian or just a white person who likes the aesthetic of it bcs far too many white people will use Asian names here just bcs it sounds cool, with no regard for the actual cultural meaning behind it. Meanwhile actual Asian people will be mocked for their names, or treated like their names are too hard to learn to pronounce, or discriminated against based on their names

Asian cultures are not a fun little costume for people to dress up with. They aren't just a nice aesthetic, they aren't just a thing you can borrow from bcs you think it sounds cool

[drag-me-kicking-and-screaming]

i wonder what Brian Thompson was wearing. I mean, he was probably asking for it

[mrskennedy]

“Jackie, surely as much as Jack, helped make the magic we called Camelot. But when an assassins bullets shattered the dream, she showed the world that there was an unimagined strength beneath the silk. Her courage, her dignity, her grave restraint in the face of such horror held this nation together and showed us how to grieve.”

- Hugh Sidney

[teecupangel]

I would also like to add to this in terms of their fighting style.

And, because I’m me, I’m focusing on Altaïr as our Levantine representative (mainly because the Animus cheats and most fighting style/form are redone for Crusaders, Saracens, and even the Masyaf guards if you want to fight them)

Anyway…

Comparison between blorbo and the dude that should get wrecked... a lot:

Altaïr fights by deliberately placing his bladed hand behind him in an almost slightly awkward hand gesture:

The hand gesture itself could mean that this certain angle gives the fastest way to unsheathe the hidden blade itself:

The fighting form itself could be a way to keep his enemies from focusing on his hidden blade, to give him a chance to surprise them when the opportunity presents itself.

On the other hand, Altaïr’s bladed hand is in front of his body when he uses a short blade. This could be because it makes it easier for Altaïr to use his left hand to strike with the hidden blade once he’s close enough. It’s less about surprise but more about being quick and striking as soon as the distance is closed.

And this is interesting because…

If we assume Basim’s fighting style to be what the Alamut Assassins are using, he uses a combination of what we've seen from Altaïr:

The reverse grip would be more similar to Altaïr’s reverse grip when holding a short blade (and they also have similar bent knees in comparison to the position of Altaïr’s knees when he’s holding a sword) BUT he keeps his bladed hand behind him which is more in line with how Altaïr positions his bladed hand when using a sword.

Although, it should be noted that Basim also changes stance during the boss fight. The arrogance in this pose and the entire boss fight makes it clear that Basim is 'losing' to the memories of Loki and his thirst for vengeance. This could mean that this is possibly Loki’s usual fighting stance and not part of the Alamut Assassins’ way of fighting and that's why it looks so out of place.

Sidebar:

I focused on AC1!Altaïr mainly because ACR!Altaïr seems to use AC2!Ezio's animation instead of having his own.

For example, on the left is ACR!Altaïr's normal sword stance during Al Mualim's damsel-in-distress moment (1189) and on the right is AC2!Ezio being a menace in Venice.

Curiously enough, ACR!Altaïr unarmed stance during Al Mualim's barbecue party (1191, just a few... hours? Days? after Al Mualim's death) seems to be an inverse of AC2!Ezio's unarmed stance)

AC1!Altaïr has a more close stance when he’s unarmed than both ACR!Altaïr and AC2!Ezio and this is even stranger because the main reason why they couldn't guard using their hidden blade is that it's quite fragile. It took Altaïr changing the hidden blade before they could start guarding using it so a form where Altaïr would have an easier time raising his left arm to protect his face is strange as he gives an opening to hitting his hidden blade in the process.

About Ezio's Levantine Brotherhood Mannerisms:

Of course, considering Ezio learned a lot of his Assassin skills from both his allies and the Codex, it’s not surprising that he has a few of Altaïr’s techniques as well. This could also be the reason why the Italian Brotherhood (and Ezio in general) have more Levantine Brotherhood gestures. At this point, Altaïr (and, by extension, the Levantine Brotherhood) is crowned as a legend so it wouldn’t be surprising if other Brotherhoods try to emulate him and his Brotherhood (for example: Aguilar’s Spanish Brotherhood still amputated their finger even though it’s no longer required).

And, it should be noted that Altaïr is the one that ordered the Brotherhood to build branches far beyond the reach of Levant and its neighboring countries/cities. This meant that the ones who built these branches (including the Italian Brotherhood which were the Polos) would have been trained or, at the very least, more heavily influenced by the Levantine Brotherhood.

To go with the glove kink ask... Imagine Desmond AND the team ending up in Altaїr's time. They do relatively well. But what gives them away at the end is Desmond winding down and defaulting to the general etiquette of someone who habitually wears a hidden blade. A peculiar hand movement there, a habitual gesture there... And neither Rebecca nor Shaun even realized that was a thing happening. Meanwhile Desmond: *is melting from joy of subconscious desire fulfilment*

The “Desmond has a glove kink” ask that influenced this.

And the one who noticed it is an old informant who works as a stall owner. Shaun loves the tea leaves he sells so Desmond gets to go and buy them regularly because Shaun and Rebecca are still trying to get a firm grasp on the languages during the 3rd Crusades (and there’s a lot) while Desmond is heavily relying on his Bleed of Altaïr.

And it’s because of this that the informant noticed his usual posture and a lot of his hand movements to specifically be of Levantine Brotherhood origin, down to the way he always liked to hide his left hand unless he was sure that no one would notice a missing ring finger (and the informant is always surprised to remember that he has all five of his fingers).

And that informant sends word to Masyaf because it’s too strange. A man with the mannerism of an Assassin but not an Assassin?

Something was off.

And who gets ordered to check this strange man?

Altaïr before that fateful year when he failed in saving Adha.

Altaïr before the attack on Masyaf where he singlehandedly saved Al Mualim.

Altaïr before he became a Master Assassin, just as curious but less arrogant than he would become years later.

Altaïr with a face that looked too much like Desmond's that it could not be counted as a coincidence.

[sombertide-0]

so i had a fun time talking with @avoidantvoidd this morning and got inspired to write a fic about Desmond being biracial (half white half syrian) and i focused on arab culture and yeah, here it is if anyone's interested

basically it's ramadan and desmond is sad about not being able to properly participate and it kinda fucks up his animus syncing, so becks and shaun decide to do something about it

Desmond comes up from the animus with a gasp, clutching at his throat. He’d been unfocused, hadn’t seen the guard coming at him before it was too late. He coughs, the taste of blood lingering on his tongue as the world steadily slows its spinning. He can hear voices, see faces that aren’t really there, feel the cold metal slicing his neck-

“Desmond!” He’s startled out of his thoughts by a very worried Rebecca. Right, he’s Desmond Miles, he was in the animus, he desynced. He groans and tugs the needle out, hunching over and clutching his stomach.

“Merda, fa male,” he wheezes. He shuts his eyes tightly. “No, wrong language, fuck… Sorry. Give me a minute.”

“What gives, Des? This is the fifth time you’ve desynced in half an hour. We need you to get through this memory.” Her voice sounds far away as he tries to separate himself from Ezio. He recites movie quotes under his breath, tries to remember his days as a bartender, remember what date it is.

It's Ramadan.

Fuck.

“Fuck…”

Shaun glances at Desmond over the rim of his glasses. "You aren't planning on fasting, are you?” Desmond cringes. He didn’t mean to say it out loud. Shaun keeps going. “Fate of the world hanging in the balance and all? We need you at your best, relatively speaking."

Desmond sighs and rubs his face. The bags under his eyes are more pronounced, stubble growing sporadically across his jaw, hair a mess. He shakes his head.

"No. I... I'd like to, but it's... not the same. Alone," he mutters tiredly. Beck and Shaun share a concerned look.

"Try to get some rest, Des," she says, powering down the animus. He nods mutely and stands on unsteady feet, slowly making his way to the room they have their bedrolls in.

"Poor guy," Becks whispers," Must be hard, being so disconnected from his culture." Shaun nods silently, staring as the door to their room shuts behind Desmond. "What do you know about Ramadan?", she asks. Shaun pauses. What does he know?

It's a social holiday, focusing on fasting during the sunlit hours of the day, followed by a big feast with family and friends. It lasts for 29 to 30 days, then is followed by three or four days of Eid, the celebration time. Sweets, gifts, parties, dances, music, it's all community based, and here they are, an American, a brit, and a sad Arab.

He sighs. As much as Shaun loathes Desmond, he can understand the isolation that comes with finding himself in such a different environment. "Okay," he says, "Here's what we're going to do."

Desmond wakes up from his nap not knowing if he feels better or worse. He groans, turns on his side, then the other, before deciding he wouldn't get anymore sleep. He stands, shadows dancing in his vision; Altair, Malik and Maria, sitting together around a warm meal. His stomach growls. God, when was the last time he ate?

No light seeps through the rotted curtains, alerting him that it's night. He must have slept for a while if it's already dark out. The others aren't in their beds though, so it can't be that late.

He slowly makes his way back to what was most likely a living room, before freezing at the door to the sorry excuse of a kitchen they have. Shaun and Rebecca were there, cooking together. Desmond shakes his head to make sure he's actually awake. He can see some of the food they'd already put out: a bowl of fresh dates, kisra and moulah, falafels, salata't rob, even a platter with freshly cut watermelon. When he looks back at what they were preparing now, he could see the telltale golden hue of one of his favorite sweets; basbousa.

Rebecca's the first to notice him standing there in shock. She offers a grin and beckons him to the table. "Hey, Des! We thought you could use a little pick me up," she says. Shaun rolls his eyes, cutting the cake into even squares and placing an almond in the middle of each one.

"Little is quite the understatement, don't you think?", he snarks, wiping his hands clean of the syrup, "We have enough food to feed a small town." Becks shoves his shoulder with a laugh. "Oh hush, this was your idea!" Shaun sputters.

"I- it was not! I simply answered your questions-"

"Then decided to look up the proper recipes and go out and buy the right ingredients and put in the time and effort to make all of this-"

"Listen, it wouldn't be worth anything if we couldn't do the culture justice!", he bristles, face a lovely shade of red. Rebecca snickers and drops the conversation, looking over to Desmond who's still simply staring.

"I...", he starts, swallows the lump in his throat, "What is this?"

Shaun scoffs. "What does it look like? Iftar. And you're late, the sun set over an hour ago."

"Iftar... But you don't celebrate, why...?" Shaun's gaze softens ever so slightly. He shifts his weight from one leg to another. "Well, Rebecca and I have noticed you weren't... performing as well as usual. So, we thought giving you a break and something nice would help get you back to your old self, however poor your performance already was." Desmond laughs despite the jab. "You did this for me. All of this, you..." His voice breaks. Dammit, he's not going to cry, he's not going to cry, he's not-!

Thin arms wrap around him tightly, the smell of rubber and cheap shampoo a strange yet comforting mix.

"You deserve nice things, Des," Rebecca says, rubbing soothing circles on his back. He hugs her tightly in return, tears stinging at his eyes.

He hasn't been able to truly participate in this holiday since he ren away from the farm, not having anyone around him to share it with. It used to be fine, but recently, with Altair's memories still knocking around in his head, and Ezio's celebrations he couldn't get through, it hurt a lot more. He never realized how alone he felt.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly pulls away from Rebecca to give her a warm smile. She gives one back and pats his shoulder. "Come on," she says, taking a seat at the table, "You better eat while it's still warm, I did not spend all this time and effort just for us to get a cold meal."

Desmond laughs. He's about to join her when he notices Shaun standing awkwardly with his arms crossed. The tips of his ears are still pink.

"Shaun?", he calls. The brit perks up. "Yes?" "Thank you." Shaun releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Don't mention it."

As they sit down and break the fast they hadn't started that day with a date, Desmond feels at home for the first time in a long time.

"Ramadan Kareem, Desmond," Shaun says with a hint of a smile. Desmond beams. He can’t help the fondness warming his chest. Maybe… maybe he’d be okay after all. Saving the world can wait for just one night.

“Ramadan Kareem, you guys.”

“… you overcooked the falafels. “

“Just shut it and eat, Miles!”

[loneliestromance]

on the internets treatment of Luigi Mangione

Y'ALL!

I think the biggest Luigi Mangione fan group on here banned me 😭

They had posted some quiiiteeee weird stuff on there, and I only commented things along the lines of "Your internet footprint is forever"... LIKE.

Idk how this website works, but maybe you can go on the community and see my comments for yourself since I can't and I'm too lazy to log out or make a new account to see.

I find Luigi quite attractive for a man, but I'm NOT gonna sexually harass him online (or in person either, for that matter) lmao.

I'm not one to say that this is "misandry" or whatever the fuck. I don't believe that's a real issue in our current society tbh. BUT if Luigi was a woman, wayyyy more people would have an issue with the way he's being treated online.

[superhousecat-once-again]

Unfortunately now that I’ve finally seen it, I 100% cannot stand the Solavellan ending and like I knowww that’s in large part because I’ve been functioning on a different level with the ship the entire time but it’s just sooo forgiving of Solas and sooo tragic for Lavellan and does not include the most fascinating element of their dynamic to me which is ‘Solas starts to see the value of the current world because of how much Lavellan loves it and is so deeply part of it’ and in fact fully discards it because Lavellan just fucks off to fade prison for “true love”

[batty4her]

From one fast food employee to another, I hope you’re stuck at that dead end job for the rest of your fucking life. Disrespectfully, choke on that boot until it kills you fr