#and instead Abbas kills Maria too

[mirrorthoughts]

LETS TRY THIS AGAIN

a non Teen Wolf one. Altair/Malik from Assassin's Creed

XD Uuuh, that's a nice one! I very much love this ship! But sadly no Bingo xD

[teecupangel]

This is because @ma-du who tagged me on this post with the idea:

Everything is the same, but the gang is reborn as Marvel characters

I am going to assume this means that the characters' personalities stay the same, it's just that they have been reborn to live the lives of Marvel characters (Assassins versus Templars plot optional XD)

Alright.

First of all, we’ll focus on MCU characters because having the ability to choose from the entire Marvel roster will… well… it would require more research that would probably take too much time XD

Also, I will primarily be using Phase 1~3 MCU characters (focusing on the Avengers with some exceptions) because the post did have Infinity Saga MCU characters (yeah, that’s the main reason why).

Alright, let’s give everyone some new problems!

Desmond: Moon Knight. Okay, he’s the main reason why I said ‘with some exceptions’. I mean… come on. Come oooonnn. Oh course, Desmond will still suffer thru the Bleeding Episodes which would lead him to be the AC equivalent of Moon Knight. Not to mention, just imagine the absolute fuckery he will suffer thru when he meets up with the reincarnated versions of his ancestors while he still have his ancestors in his brain as the Bleeding Effect. Instead of Khonsu though, I suggest we go for Ra (for the sun irony) or, if you wanna stay in the Greco-Roman mythology that was strongest in Desmond Saga, may I suggest Minerva (to make Minerva suffer with him) or Dionysus?

Altaïr: Doctor Strange, hands down. Used to be an arrogant overachiever? Taken down a peg by some kind of tragedy? Still a bit of an asshole but now has an entire subject he could spend the rest of his life studying and be the top expert still? Becomes leader of a secret-ish organization trying to protect the world in what amounts to a short time all things considered? OP powers with a lot of glowing gold accents AND holds an OP artifact? Altaïr is, hands down, the nearest Doctor Strange we will have on this list. Sidenote: Malik gets Wong’s job of being the usually annoyed dude that has to keep Altaïr from bending the rules too much. The Sanctum Masters are the Rafiqs of Damascus and Jerusalem + Kadar. Karl Mordo will have to be Abbas (sorry Karl Mordo) while Al Mualim would either take the Ancient One (if we plan to keep him good in this one) or Kaecilius.

Ezio: Iron Man. He comes from a rich family with lots of connections, is actually smarter than people usually assume he is, flirts a lot but also carries a torch for a specific person in his life, and a tragedy in his life changed him. Of course, his father wasn’t a dick to him (up to you if we gonna kill Giovanni and Maria off for drama), Federico gets reborn as Happy (who is still Ezio’s brother but preferred to be his security officer), Claudia is still his sister but has Pepper Pott’s job (although, everyone in Auditore Industries knows it’s really Claudia who takes care of the everyday operation, Ezio is the inventor and the face of the company, Claudia is the shadow queen) and Cesare gets to be Justin Hammer. Petruccio can be the kid in Ironman 3 or he's just living his life as the third Auditore child who has cool 'toys' to help his weak body that his brother made for him.

Ratonhnhaké:ton: We can go for Hawkeye/Ronin, the normal human who can keep up with everything that’s happening (also, he would make a good parental figure for the Frye twins). Also, even if we call him ‘normal’, we all know he could kick everyone’s ass thru sheer determination and stubbornness alone. Another option would be Black Panther but I kinda want Adéwalé to be Black Panther?

Haytham: … is it weird I kinda want him to be Nick Fury? Like… he’s the all-time suffering man in charge who doesn’t actually have any authority over any of the superheroes he ‘conscripted’? I just want Haytham to suffer while, for once, not being on the other side.

Edward: Okay… I mean… I know there would be a Phase 1~3 character that would work for him, the easiest would be making him part of the Asgardian family drama but, may I suggest a non-MCU character? Daimon Helstrom. Because Edward’s actor Matt Ryan is sooo good as Constantine that I will always think of him as Constantine. Helstrom is the nearest Marvel equivalent to Constantine and he’s also a free agent type which works well with Edward’s character for most of Black Flag. (plus I got “canceled after a good season 1” deja vu with Helstrom as I did with Constantine). If you really want him to be part of Phase 1~3, Antman (Scott Lang) would work with Jenny taking the place of the daughter Cassie.

Shay: If Haytham is our Nick Fury, Shay gets to be his Maria Hill (second-in-command, normal human that can kick so much ass, and… that tight outfit) or Phil Coulson if you wanna go down the route of Shay doing his own thing.

Arno: Spider-Man because I think Ezio mentoring him would be a nice touch and… his first love Élise being a Templar is kinda similar to how Liz was the Vulture’s daughter. Still thinking about who his Ned should be though.

Evie and Jacob: Look, we’re talking about twins here so I’m pretty much obligated to make Evie and Jacob Wanda and Pietro. Although, this time, Jacob’s not gonna die. XD

Bayek: Steve Rogers (no, he will not be called Captain America, think of a more ‘universal’ superhero name) because he’s an all-around good guy, his default weapon in AC promotional images has him using a shield, and he started out as a man who just wanted to do what was right and protect his people that got sucked into the overarching plot because of a tragedy. Also… Aya as a badass normal human like Peggy Carter, hhhmmm?

Kassandra: You know, I was thinking that Kassandra could be Steve Rogers with Alexios becoming Winter Soldier. (Which I think would still work, we’ll just have to change Bayek into someone else…) But Kassandra has to be Captain Marvel, right? The OP powers and “not to be a lesbian but oh my god oh my god” vibes she gave off just made her suited to be Captain Marvel more.

Eivor: She’s gotta be reborn as Thor, right? Like… sure, Odin is right there but Eivor’s love for fighting and her loyalty to her people feels more like Thor than Odin. (Let’s not make AC Odin reborn as MCU Odin. I’d even go for Varin to be reborn as her father again or even Sigurd to have a bit of arrogance at this point)

Basim: Look. We all know Basim’s gonna be reborn as… Korg. Of course, I’m kidding. He’ll be reborn as Loki as we all expected. XD

Clay: Deadpool. He’s supposed to be dead, his mind got shattered after receiving his ‘superpowers’, and… he’s the only person in this cast other than Desmond that actually remembers who he was before. His whole ‘knows about the fourth wall’ shtick is connected to the fact that he still has access to the Calculations and that’s actually what broke his mind… again.

[freshstartfromscratch]

A.S.S.A.S.S.I.N.S

I should be writing my MA but since procrastination is my middle name and I'd prefer to play AC instead of working, I've got this idea.

Since I'm not a fan of writing it may appear in form of drawings and maybe comics.

I'm mostly typing this shit as a note for myself from the future but if it'll inspire anyone to write - I want to read this shit.

There's been a billion modern AU Assassin's Creed fics but I don't give a fuck.

New York. Modern Times. Or late 90s - early 00s cuz modern times suck.

Deciding on a year is super tricky 😭 cuz I wanted to have this nice, pre-2007-2009 financial crisis era.

U know. The one that fucked up the property market and made housing unaffordable.

But I was lying in my bed one day and I've got an idea for a nice teenage Altair story that would require him to be around 15 in 2002. It would change the AU year to 2011 and the 2010s were already fucked up. I'm torn between my story and my AU vision 😭.

Also putting it in the 2010s would make the conclusion of the story in the 2030s and I'm not sure if humanity survives the next 10 years.

Welp.

Roommates AU - Altaïr, Ezio, Connor, Arno, and Jacob (maybe Edward too but I'm not sure I have a different idea for him too)

Monica's Apartament vibe.

Funny fact - I've never watched Friends

Like the guys are living together and besides dealing with everyday YA bullshit they are also Assassins. Life is hard without the hidden Templar vs Assassin war.

But someone has to pay rent, buy toilet paper and cook food while maintaining a social life. Five someone to be more precise.

Bois are the most notorious ppl in the building cuz of parties, pranks, arguments, running on the rooftop. Usual shit.

Also, Ezio fucks really loud.

Bayek is the landlord (TM) who is equally done with their shit but also he's sort of like Jerry from Totally Spies - "Assassins I have a mission for you"

He's also in separation with his wife Aya so he's extra pissy.

The Roommates:

Altair Ibn La'ahad aka the responsible one

- He's the oldest boi. I picture him around the mid-late 20s ... 26. Lol.

- He's also the one officially renting the place.

- 8 out of 10 times he's done with the Bois bullshit. Especially Jacob.

- Just like in the games, he is the most traditional Assassin. Serious and diligent but also cocky.

- He's Syrian - American, 2nd generation. His mom died in childbirth, dad was killed during the gang shooting when Altaïr was 10, cuz they lived in a dodgy neighborhood. He grew up in the foster home of Al-Sayf.

- Faheem Al-Sayf and Umar Ibn La'ahad were friends (and brothers in the Creed) so when Altaïr was orphaned he just swoop in and became Altaïr's legal guardian.

-So when Altaïr addresses Malik 'brother' it has a double meaning. They banter like siblings and annoy one another too. Also, Kadar is alive because I said so.

- They are the reason why Altaïr is still dealing with his roommates' shit. He has years of experience in dealing with brotherly shit.

- Abbas was this shitty kid from your primary school that you initially thought was your friend but turned out to be a douchebag.

- He's also in a long and well-established relationship with Maria, who at this point might as well count as one of the roommates.

- I picture their relationship as the most stable one in the group. They've been together for a few years at this point and are well aware of each other's quirks and faults but they accept them and remain in a happy relationship.

- Not in the honeymoon phase but I think it's a very much physical relationship. They love and still desire one another. A lot.

- Both of them are private about their affection. Not to the point of hiding from the roommates but you definitely won't catch them making out on a couch (unless it's a date night in and they were supposed to be alone.) Neither you'll really hear them having sex. They are a bit vocal but not to the point of letting everyone know that they're doing the deed. The sounds are for one another, not the entire block to hear.

- Still, a quick good morning kiss in the kitchen while making breakfast and a cup of coffee or a little cuddle on a couch while watching TV when the others are around is ok. They are all adults, so it’s not like they don’t know what a couple does. Altaïr and Maria are also the ones that have the “we’re running out of milk, can you pick up some later?” conversations.

-Most of the guys don't even notice when Maria stays over. It's not unusual to see her making breakfast in the morning in their kitchen while her hair is dripping with water after the shower. Jacob actually thought for the first four months that she lives with them permanently.

- Altaïr and Maria are the parents (TM) of this household. Even if Maria doesn't really live there.

- Altaïr's occupation was a bit tricky to me but I think he'd be a freelance writer. Codex and stuff indicate that he likes to write. Also, such a job is very flexible and allows a lot of time for training and research.

- Which he does. A lot.

- Eye candy for girls at the local gym.

- Hobbies include playing video games, drawing, snowboarding, and reading fantasy books. Alone. In silence. He also plays a bit on guitar.

- He still enjoys socializing, partying, and drinking from time to time. Just not every two days maybe.

-He’s surprisingly good at beer pong. Like, I'm not kidding, the first time he played, he smashed his opponents and couldn't care less. 

- Deeply inside he cares for the guys and loves them, he simply doesn't show it. Canonical Altaïr had a lot of love in him, for his family and friends. After all, he brought love back to the order and never forgive himself when Maria died. This guy is a huge softie inside.

- His room is his castle. Nobody dares to enter without permission and Altaïr's knowledge. Ezio once made this mistake when he was looking for condoms after bringing one of his dates over. His room is the cleanest one in the apartment but also very personal.

- Middle Eastern carpet on the floor and some decorative pillow on the bed, that reminds of his parents' home country. Hookah he got on 18th birthday, that he smokes with Malik whenever he comes over. A workspace with a desk and a laptop that has a cute photo of him and Maria on wallpaper. Snowboard on the wall above the bed. Bookshelves are full of fantasy novels, Assassins tomes, and history books. Maybe a copy of the Bible and Quran that used to belong to his parents, with their photo nearby. A guitar in the corner, next to Maria's yoga mat because her stuff is in his room too.

- Tiny mirror and Maria's makeup items are always on the windowsill, next to a plant she gave him. The plant is still alive because Altaïr is a responsible plant parent.

- He also has a photo with his foster family. Probably stuck in the large mirror frame that's on his closest. In the majority of the photos, there are just him and Maria being cute. He has photos with his friends and roommates too. The mirror is also decorated with dumb stickers that Maria found and used to mark her territory.

- For someone so important in this household I picture him having a rather small room.

Ezio Auditore aka the heart of the home one

- Ezio is always super loud. No matter what he does. Everyone wants to hate him for this but he's too charming for his own good.

- I see him somewhere in the middle when it comes to age. Like he's older than Arno and Jacob and younger than Altaïr but I'm not sure about Connor. I'm honestly torn between making Ezio the second oldest and the middle child (TM) younger than Connor. So he’s either 24 or 23.

- Ezio is a uni student. He came from Italy to break free from overbearing parents to study economy and banking in New York. He doesn't really enjoy it but is quite good at it.

- Canonical Ezio is an art collector and likes art. So while studying at uni AU Ezio met and befriend an art Student Leonard Da Vinci Leo.

- Leo was a bit bullied by the jocks at the university and Ezio's older brother instinct kicked in.

- Both bonded over being Italian in America. An actual Italians, not the "omg my great great great grandpa was from Italy! I'm basically Italian!" Kind.

- Leo also isn't super happy with his studies because there're too many things he's into to decide on one major. Ezio can relate. At least to the 'I don't know what I want to do in the future' part. He also likes listening to Leo talking about art, more than he'd anticipated.

- He took a minor in art history. This is his life now.

- He also discovered another perk of his minor - ladies. So many girls study art and Ezio is in for it.

- He definitely uses his "I'm Italian and my country is famous for art. Do you want to discuss it later?" charm. It works surprisingly often.

- Leo doesn't approve - "with great knowledge comes great responsibility Amico Mio!"

- Ezio is the one that invites the majority of guests into the apartment.

- Unlike Altaïr, Ezio loves having guests over and sharing his space with people. Even if they're not close friends.

- Nevertheless, he wouldn't invite over anyone he doesn't trust. He's an assassin and it's an assassin household. He's friendly, not stupid.

- He's responsible for hosting the majority of the parties. If it was up to only him a party would be every other day.

- Ezio is also the one most likely to get caught making out on a couch by the others. He just doesn't care who will see.

- He is like the worst roommate to share the bathroom with cuz he spends hours there. Nobody knows what he's doing in there but he takes longer than any guy who lives there and any girl that stayed over for the night.

- He also clogs the shower with his majestic hair.

- Almost half of all beauty and hygiene products in there are his. The other half is Arno's. Around 15% belongs to Maria. Altaïr and Jacob are like - I have a bar of soap and a toothbrush. Connor hogs maybe 10% of all bathroom space.

- He is in charge of all indoor hangouts and bonding activities in the apartment. He's like the warm glue that keeps those guys together.

- Ezio might or might not suffer the most during the camping trips that Connor organizes.

- Ezio's room is a mess. Clothing is everywhere, alongside the university textbooks, notes, and a few copies of Playboy magazines.

- Guys don't enter his room either but for a completely different reason than Altaïr's. You can't find anything in there unless you're Ezio himself.

- I picture him as a guy who has a lot of posters in his room. Not all are posters with girls but also band posters and of course football ⚽ posters.

-He keeps his family photos over his study space. His brothers, parents, Claudia, uncle Mario - you name them. This guy loves his family and misses them a lot.

- Ezio loves football (for you North Americans it's soccer.) He plays it, watches it. You name it.

- He owns the PlayStation 2 of the Household and uses it mostly to play Fifa games.

- Thanks to his knowledge of finances he is responsible for the household budgeting and paying bills and taxes. Altaïr remembers when and what has to be done but it's Ezio that fills out the documents. He's very good at this and thanks to him they guys still have water, electricity, food in the fridge, and a roof over their heads. Because he can count and budget things.

- Ezio is the chef of the household too. This boi can cook VERY well. He usually cooks for everyone, for parties, for other people's parties, to impress ladies. You name it.

- It's also his go-to mechanism to cope with stress. It reminds him of home.

- Cuz this boi is also a mama's boy. He misses his entire family but mamma has a special spot.

- His roommates of course don't know about it. He'd rather die than admit it.

- Ezio's love life is a mess and the guys know it. Very often they are using it for betting.

- His current favorite lay is an exchange student Christina Vespucci. She shows up pretty often in the apartment but she's not the only girl that visits Ezio.

- Both Christina and Ezio know that they're not exclusive but she pushes him to commit.

- Ezio really likes her but isn't sure if that's what he wants.

- He sometimes steals Altaïrs' guitar and pretends to know how to play to pick up girls.

- One day he learns that his mom and sister are coming to New York.

- Claudia got transferred to an all-girls prestigious high school and his mom arrived with her. For safety. Apparently, Giovanni wanted to keep his wife and daughter as far from Florence as possible.

- Mamma doesn't really approve of her son's lifestyle but she lets him make his own mistakes. She took a liking to Leo and thinks that he has a positive influence on her son.

- Claudia initially felt intimidated in the school and wanted to go back to Italy. However, she learned that in a younger class there's another Italian girl.

- They're not really friends but Claudia and her do hang out a bit. Ezio is glad that his younger sister isn't completely alone in her new school.

- This Sofia girl that Claudia hangs out with is nice after all. She moved a lot in her life so it's easier for her to assimilate than for Claudia.

- He doesn't know that Sofia has a major crush on him.

- But she's just a child in his eyes. There's no way he'd be into someone so young.

- Maybe when Sofia is older she'll catch his attention? Who knows? Sofia definitely hopes for this.

- For now, Ezio just lives every day to its fullest and doesn't care for the future.

Connor Kenway aka the quiet one

- He is either the second oldest or the third oldest (after Ezio) in the apartment (still figuring that one out.) - again 24 or 23

- Vet school student. Very diligent but not straight As. He tries very hard though.

- Unlike everyone else in the apartment, Connor doesn't have an experience of living with siblings or roommates. He's 100% only child and is used to having his stuff only for himself.

- He had a hard time adapting to the "I ate it cuz it didn't have your name on it" and taking stuff without asking culture.

- Ezio may or may not overuse it in the early days.

- He is fine now and got used to living with the Bois.

- I picture him as a child of divorced parents that lived a pretty comfortable life but in the end was very lonely and found himself very often in the crossfire.

- He often traveled to England to see his dad and lived there for a few years. Like his upbringing was split between the two continents.

- Haytham and Connor always had a rocky relationship but currently, they're not even on speaking terms. Nevertheless, he likes his aunt Jenifer and she's his favorite family member in England.

- Connor spent the majority of his upbringing with his mom. Kaniehtí:io definitely is his favorite parent.

- He grew up very close to his Mohawk culture and is very keen on helping his community. He helps as one of the free tutors in a teaching program at the local Indigenous Community Center. He knows that education is important and those kids very often don't get equal chances so he wants to help.

- He teaches the language class too, since he's one of the few remaining fluent speakers of Kanyen'kéha.

- Overall he is very involved in participating in his indigenous culture.

- He might or might not have a crush on a girl that volunteers in this center and he might or might not imagine them living happily ever after with three kids.

- Besides being an active (cuz not really outspoken) in his Community Center, Connor is also a member of his university conservation club.

- He goes to the beach clean-ups almost every weekend and is very good at collecting signatures for pro-environmental petitions. He is a guy on the mission and there's nothing that's going to stop a very determinant Connor Kenway.

- He is the outdoorsy one that drags everyone to spend more time in the wild. Whether it'll be a walk in Central Park or a camping trip outside of the city.

- He helps in the animal shelter because of course he does.

- One day he brought home an Irish Wolfhound named Tatch and fought nail and tooth to let the dog stay. Arno joined him in this fight because he had Irish Wolfhound in his childhood in France. In the end, it was Altaïr that had to convince Bayek to let the dog stay.

- The dog stayed and everyone loves Tatch. Ezio and Arno use him to pick up ladies while walking him (because the dog is the best wingman.) Altaïr claims that the dog is an inconvenience since it costs money and is time-consuming but the guys have seen him petting Tatch while reading way too many times at this point. Altaïr is literally the dad and the dog meme. The Best part? Connor knew from the beginning that the guys will love Tatch.

- He has a sixth sense (heh) when it comes to connecting people with their perfect pets. He'd work in the shelter all the time if he could.

- Connor's room is probably the second cleanest in the household. It has a few clothes let astray, dog toys, and dog hair sticking to the blanket but overall it's ok. Like he wouldn't be embarrassed if anyone saw the state of the room.

- His room is the cozy one. It's very warm and inviting. For some reason, I think it has yellow walls. He has a dream catcher above his bed and multiple plants on the windowsill.

- He stores his belongings and trinkets in Black ash baskets. His favorite one was made by Ziio herself. He tried basket weaving but he really doesn't have a knack for this. This boi doesn't have an artistic bone in his body.

- I think he uses his bed for studying and occasionally a kitchen table so I don't think that he has a desk in his room.

- He does, however, have a lot of sports equipment - dumbbells, baseball set, rock climbing equipment, and maybe even a snowboard or a pair of skis.

- Connor enjoys baseball, both playing and watching. I think that he also enjoys cricket (since he played it while in England) but he'd rather die than admit it.

- He and Jacob bond a bit over England as Connor is the only one who lived there too.

- He is a coffee guy. That's it. That's the entire point. I have nothing else to add.

- Overall Connor is very busy and it's not unusual to not see him very often in the apartment. Nevertheless, whenever Ezio organizes bonding night, Connor will always be there for his friends and roommates.

Arno Dorian aka the dreamer one

- Arno used to be the baby of the household before Jacob moved in. This boi is 22 years old.

- He arrived in NYC to fulfill his big dream of becoming a well-renowned showbusiness headhunter.

- He used to study literature in Paris at Sorbonne University but dropped out. He liked it but decided that it was not something he wanted to do.

- His parents were furious and cut him off financially. Suddenly the rich kid had to fend on his own. Initially, it was like hitting the wall, but that's how he found the poor artists' community. 

- Arno lived with a bunch of artists in a small apartment in Montmartre. It was the place where rich kid Arno learned what is it like to live with roommates and struggle to pay rent.

- This is where he found his true passion - bringing talent to the masses. If he found something interesting, he wanted to share it with people. Arno helped a few artists while still in France reach a wider audience. It made him sure that he finally found his calling.

- He especially likes theater. So, what's a better place to look for a future star than near Broadway?

- He works as a barista in Starbucks in the Theatre District. He misspells the names on purpose but overall his customer service is A+.

- He tries harder than Starbucks is worth it.

- This guy dreams of making it big in the art world and has a bit of childish naivety to him. Yet Arno is still witty and can insult Jacob so that the Englishman will treat it as a compliment. 

-He is a ruthless player of UNO too. Nobody wants to play UNO with Arno because he cheats. His roommates can't prove it (because he is so skilled) but deep inside know that it's impossible to be this lucky. 

- Connor started to get suspicious after he had to draw 57 cards in 3 games in a row. Bless his heart.

- He can make a mean Caffè latte. A skill that Ezio overuses in the mornings.

- Speaking of Ezio, Arno is absolutely in awe of him. Ezio is everything Arno wants to be - handsome, confident, witty, and a ladies' man. 

- Arno is all of those things but he can’t help but compare himself to the older Assassin.

- Unlike Ezio, however, Arno is calmer, softer, and a bit more romantic soul. Don't get me wrong, Ezio is a devil. He can sweep any woman off her feet before she notices what happened. While Ezio is very passionate in his courting, Arno is more of a vanilla romantic. 

- Whenever Arno wants to woo a lady, he'd start by getting her name right if she's in Starbucks. He might draw a little smiley face and a compliment on the cup. Like, "Your hair looks awesome today" or "You have a pretty smile" the non-creepy, friendly ones.

- He also does this when he sees that someone is under the weather. Not because he is super kind but simply because he can brighten up someone's day. He's like - why not?

- If the girl he likes also fancies him, he will try to invite her for a walk in central park or for a coffee 'that is not mass-produced. 

- If the girl agrees, he'll bring her flowers, compliment her and listen to her. 

- Arno is a very good listener whenever you are his friend or potential romantic partner. He pays attention and observes reactions to calculate his next move. He always gives the best advice, especially on relationships.

- If any of the guys reaches a rough patch with their partners, Arno is like their go-to advisor and relationship therapist. During one particularly rough period between Maria and Altaïr, he acted as the mediator and helped them patch things up.

- He utilizes his listening skills in picking the perfect 2nd date location and activities that are altered to his sweetheart's preferences. If she's playful, he'll take her to Coney Island. She loves animals? Central Park Zoo or a walk with Tatch. Art? Metropolitan Museum. Theatre? Broadway! 

- Besides the perfect setting, he'd also try to figure out the love language of his date and act accordingly. All of this while being a perfect gentleman.

- So far, it's working well for him, and he has a long list of phone numbers. 

- Recently, however, he's been smitten with Maria's new roommate - Élise de la Serre. 

- He and Élise actually go way back since they went to primary school together. He was a frequent visitor in the de la Serre household. In this AU Arno wasn't adopted by de la Serre. I always found it strange and unsettling that Arno and Élise grew up together as step-siblings and had a romantic relationship.

- For now, he feels very nervous around her. Something he has never felt around a girl before.

- After Yusuf moved out, Arno moved into his old room. Reason? He didn't want to live next to Ezio because of the noises. Yeah, those noises. The room next to Ezio is like an initiation to the Brotherhood apartment. You can move up in ranks only if someone else moves out.

- Since Arno was the newbie until recently, he had to share the same wall with Ezio for a long time. Now it's Jacob's problem. Lol.

- Arno's room is in the middle on a scale of cleanesss. There are some things out of order, and it's not always decent to show to other people, but he's 100% sure that nothing besides him lives there. He has some sexy posters on the walls and naughty magazines of his own, but they are not as visible as in Ezios' room. Maybe somewhere like on the inside of his door or inside the closet doors. 

 - I don't think Arno has a desk in his room, just like Connor. He doesn't need it, so why should he waste his space? Instead, he has a bookcase.

- Arno reads a lot and the majority of his books are in French. Maybe he has some in German since he speaks it a little because of his Austrian mom, but he's not very keen on the German language, and he doesn't really read in English.

- He also has one of those tacky Eiffel tower figurines on his bookcase. He knows how trashy it is, and he bought it as a joke when he was leaving Paris. The whole thing is also covered in post-it notes with phone numbers to various artists he'd like to work with.

- As stereotypical as it sounds, Arno has the largest closet in the household. This guy likes fashion a lot, and he knows how to dress well. 

- He has actual paintings on the wall, like a true man of culture. Since the fallout with his parents, he doesn't really keep photos of his family, but he has a picture of Scratch, his childhood pet.

- He misses France, but Arno isn't going back before he makes it big. 

Jacob Frye aka the comedic relief one

- Now Jacob is the baby of the house, only 21 years of age. He is barely allowed to drink in the USA! The apartment is his 3rd attempt at independence.

- Before moving to NYC, Jacob lived with his twin sister in London. But she moved in with her boyfriend, Henry Green. For a short period, he lived with them, but Evie informed her younger brother that: two's company, three's a crowd. Jacob had to move out.

- For a while, the younger Frye twin struggled to maintain housing of his own. He got evicted so many times that the landlords didn't want to rent to him anymore.

- Poor Jacob slept in London Underground trains. He preferred this over admitting to his family that he is struggling. After all, if Evie can manage in London, so can he!

- Jacob got involved with London gangs and got in trouble with the police. Since he couldn't appear in the police archives, Jacob broke into the station and stole his folder before it made its way to the database. This stun got the attention of the American Brotherhood, which offered Jacob a better use of his skills. 

- Being the impulsive guy he is, Jacob decided, "why not?" and before he could think his decision through, he was on a plane to America.

- British Brotherhood might or might not plan to get rid of Jacob like this for a while. It's like in Bean: The Movie - American Assassins thought that they get a competent expert, but English just wanted to get rid of an inconvenience.

- The fact that Jacob once almost ruined an entire British economy might or might not influence the decision of the English Brotherhood.

- Jacob got a room that used to belong to Arno. The room is medium in size, bigger than Altaïrs' room for sure, but it didn't take long for Jacob to learn why nobody wants to live there. Approximately, he discovered it after 6 hours since he moved in when Ezio returned with his date.

- Initially, poor Jacob felt like the butt of all jokes in the household. Victim of Ezio and Arno pranks, dangling at the bottom of the food chain. He considered going back to England. Neither Brotherhood nor his roommates treated him seriously. 

- The Bois, however, learned to not judge an idiot by his demeanor when during one mission, it was Jacob that saved their asses. Mr. Fry despises being a reckless idiot, and a comedian is a spectacular assassin. 

- While on a job, Jacob is a master assassin material, focused on his target, quick and efficient. He earned his roommates' respect. He also came up with the retreat plan and a cover-up. It was this mission that humbled his older brethren. It also showed them that Jacob is a diamond in the rough.

- Learning to live with Jacob was a challenge, especially for Connor and Altaïr. His attitude toward Creed annoyed Altaïr. Connor found it difficult to deal with Jacobs' tendencies of borrowing stuff without asking or eating food that clearly did not belong to the English assassin.

- On the other hand, both Ezio and Arno get along with Jacob like a house on fire. Those three are constantly pranking one another. They are wingmen in picking up ladies and compadre in partying.

- If Ezio is the heart of the party, then Jacob is its soul. Jacob is a comedian and loves to bring smiles to people's faces. He sucks at beer pong though. That is why he teams up with Altaïr. Jacob makes the show while Altaïr is actually doing the playing part. 

- He also uses his sense of humor and charisma to pick people up. The Englishman is bisexual after all. He likes galls AND gents. Jacob initially struggled with his sexuality, and he is still figuring himself out. Equally in terms of what he wants to do and who he is.

- He neither studies nor works. He just exists and relies heavily on his roommates and Maria. 

- Speaking of Maria, he really likes her. She reminds him of Evie, but unlike his sister, Maria isn't annoying and is hot. Maria didn't like this comment, and neither did Altaïr.

- Both he and Maria are tea lovers, so they meet for tea sometimes. Jacob knows his tea, and he can distinguish different blends. He even has his own section for different kinds of tea in one of the kitchen cupboards. He also has a special mug that nobody is allowed to use.

- Jacob steals Netflix from Evie and Henry by naming his account 'settings'. Hide in plain sight. I love the idea but I doubt that Netflix was a thing in the early 2000s

- If it wasn't for Ezio, Jacob would get the cake for the dirtiest room in the apartment. It's like after an explosion in there. Jacob simply doesn't care and doesn't mind having a mess.

- His room is a strange one. It is already messy but still lacks a distinguished personality. Like every boi has something that makes their room theirs - Jacob's room - not really.

- He has a photo of his grandma and Evie as well as the Union Jack pillow. You know, the one that every single English person has in their room when they're abroad. Besides those two things, there's not much Jacob in Jacob's space.

- It's because he still feels like his stay with his roommates is temporary, and they will kick him out, just like everyone else did. They will not, even though Altaïr was close a few times.

- This boi is still figuring out who he is and what to do with his life. He spent most of his life in his sister's shadow, so now he has to discover who Jacob Fry really is.

- He's still very young and has time for this. No matter what, he can rely on his new friends.

[storytimefromthecreed]

How It Should Have Happened

(2)

Snow kicked up, blinding him for a moment. Bringing his blade up, Darim fought the larger man, and cursed under his breath. On his back, the man held the advantage, so Darim had to use his wits. Circling their blades so that the attacker’s stabbed into the icy ground beside his ear, Darim plunged his sword into the man’s stomach. The foe’s eyes went wide, with shock or pain he didn’t care, and Darim rolled his body off him. Groaning, he readying himself for the two rushing him. Formulating how best to attack, a muscially familiar sound made him freeze, and he was elated to see arrows protruding from the bodies. Now safe, he turned around.

“Working on your aim, have you?” Darim turned over his shoulder, cleaning his blade before storing it.

Grinning down at him, she placed the bow on her back and stuck out a hand. “Someone had to save you.”

“Must it always be you?” Darim took her hand, and she helped him up the snowback. Dusting the snow from his arms and pants, he placed his hands on her shoulders and took her in. “Has it been so long? A proper Assassin stands before me now.”

“You’d be unlucky if I weren’t.” She teased before growing serious. “Masyaf is in trouble.” (Y/N) pulled him into a hug and Darim brushed the snow from her. Removing her bow, she handed it to him. “Better with you, don’t you think?”

“Only because mine was ruined.” Placing an imaginary arrow, he drew back and practiced his aim. Handing him an arrow marked with a goose feather, a batch he’d given her for her birthday, Darim’s expert fingers placed them. Gently, yet so strongly, he drew back and shot a nearby tree. A heavenly twang filled the air, and Darim appeared happy.

“Amazing shot.”

“It veered a bit to the left, don’t you think?” Darim pouted, looking down at her. (Y/N) shook her head, and walked away. “(Y/N)? (Y/N)?”

Seeing Altair and Maria again delighted her to the point of tears, but she dared not let them fall. Well, in front of Altair at least. Maria took her into her arms as Darim told them of her saving him and she told them what was happening at home. Altair thanked her and held her hand awkwardly, he was never much of a hugger. Once the Mongol threat was ended, they rushed home.

“It was wonderful.” She was telling Darim, recounting the sights and sounds of Assassins training in Masyaf. Longing filled her for her home.

“It will be good to be back.” Darim confessed, keeping his voice low and looking up to his parents in front of them. Riding slowly side by side, Altair and Maria kept their heads bent low in conversation. Is that how her and Darim looked? The thought made her cheeks hot suddenly, and she pulled away to cool herself. Why had that thought affected her like that? Darim hadn’t noticed. “Travelling opens my mind to all the possibilty the world has to offer, so I should be happy.”

“Should?” Darim turned sheepish, and she leaned in. “I won’t tell Altair, I promise.” They giggled like school children until Darim finally groaned and confessed.

“I’d rather stay at Maysaf.”

Her brows rose, as did her interest. “Why?”

Darim shrugged, “I... I don’t know.” He grew silent, unlike himself, and (Y/N) tried to comfort him.

“What would you do at Masyaf?” She pressed, swatting his hand on the reins to get his attention. It worked, and his grey blue eyes twinkled at her. “Don’t tell me I’m meant to call you Master in a few years.”

Darim half laughed, half groaned. “I think I’d like to train novices.” The confession turned his cheeks pink, and he could feel it. One of the downfalls he’d inherited from his mother. He looked to (Y/N), bracing himself for the shocked or shamed look in her eyes. Instead, he found contemplation.

“You’d make a terrific teacher.”

“You think so?” She nodded. “Thank you, (Y/N).” His heart felt like how clouds looked, why was that? “Besides, I’ll probably be calling you Mentor first.” His heart fluttered even more at her red face. The way her eyes would widen before squinting, unsure if he was teasing or not (and he meant to keep her guessing), before finally scrunching her nose at him and rolling her eyes to look away.

Looking back, that’s when Darim figured out he was in love with her.

That light feeling accompanied them the entire journey until Masyaf’s village surrounded them. Then, reality weighed down. Maria looked back at them, and (Y/N) broke away from the group. Darim’s eyes never left hers until she abandoned her horse at the well and dropped into the shadows. It was time to put their plan to work.

Three days it took for her to understand the schedule of Masyaf, and by the fourth night, under the cover of darkness, she snuck into the living quarters and searched for the family. Finding the quiver of goose feathers at the door, she’d found the house and knocked five times. The door barely opened before she was pulled inside.

It took a few minutes before her eyes adjusted to the darkness, but she recognized that raspy voice. “Were you followed?”

“No, Mentor.” She never witted him. Besides, they hadn’t the time for it.

Altair nodded, then released her. Darim gave his father a look that he missed, but his mother didn’t. Breaking the silence, she took (Y/N)’s hands. “Are you ok?”

“Sneaking into Masyaf was easier than it should have been, but more from poor training and lots of alcohol rather than luck or falling into a trap.”

“We can’t say that.” Altair cut it. “We can not fully know anything.”

“While gathering information, I’ve learned this, Mentor. Abbas has a counsel-”

Maria growled, “We’ve met.”

“The Assassins have turned from a symbol of peace to corruption, and,” Her fingers twitched with excitement, like the possibilty would tear her apart. Upon hearing it, it took all her control to supress her emotions and stick to the plan. Getting ahead of herself would risk the lives of more people she loved, and lose their advantage. “Malik is alive.”

“We’ve heard that too.” Altair muttered, and took a seat on the bed. Turning to listen to her information, he picked and pried apart everything she had learned. It wasn’t out of rudeness, she knew, he was trying to get the whole picture.

“Abbas flaunts the information that Malik is in prison, though he said the charges were murder.” Darim brushed against her side. The house was very small. It felt strange with his parents laying close enough to hear them, but with no other option, they remained as they were. To be fair, she didn’t mind it.

“Whose?”

“Sef’s.” (Y/N)’s breath caught, and Darim gave a hard chuckle. “Our reaction too. Of course we knew you’d gotten the family out before Abbas could get to them, so he was lying, but the part that we really had to act on, was your death.”

“My death?”

Darim nodded, his mouth a straight line. “Apparently, Malik wanted complete control of the Brotherhood and felt that you and my brother were the only ones standing in his way. Abbas tried to avenge you.”

(Y/N) felt horror drip into her bones. The fall of the Brotherhood was on her head. “How? Why did they think I died?” Hadn’t anyone seen her running out of Masyaf?

“A body was found. Too decomposed to identify. Had your brooch.” Sef! Her eyes widened. He told her to trust him.

“Your brother can explain that when he gets back.” (Y/N) said.

“Though we could use the help, I’m not sure it’s right to have Sef leave his family to fight. No matter how much he’d want to.”

“Trust me, I agree.” The thought of those girls having to grow up without a father disturbed her. “That’s why I told him I’d contact him when Masyaf was safe.”

Darim nodded, “Good.” Soft snoring from the bed made them smile, and Darim yawned. “Sorry.” He turned away, and she stretched.

“I’ll take first watch?”

“Couldn’t ask you to.” But his eyes were heavy with sleep, so much so that he could barely open them fully. Even though he said this, he sat on the ground and leaned his head against the wall. (Y/N) took a seat beside him. How long had it been since she’d rested? Being dead afforded her the luxury of working even farther beneath the radar that they’d hoped and now would give her time to rest. Her thoughts turned to Malik. It had been months since she’d seen him, and guilt weighed heavy in her heart. She should’ve saved him first. “He wouldn’t have wanted that.” Darim whispered, and she snapped back to the small room. With a shaky breath, his hand inched for hers before suddenly taking it. (Y/N) could hear that he’d held his breath, and she turned to see him watching her. Waiting for a reaction to what he’d just done.

Giving his hand a squeeze, she leaned against him and intertwined their fingers. Darim relaxed, releasing his pent up breath, and watching their hands with a satisfied smile. He’d never given any of his precious bows that look.

Running his thumb over her wrist and the back of her hand softly, delicately, Darim continued, “Killing Malik would never give Abbas the loyality of the Brotherhood, Malik knew that. It was the right thing going to Sef and then getting my father.”

“I should’ve fought harder. Snuck back into Masyaf and found him sooner.”

“Then Sef would be dead.” She blinked. She hadn’t thought of that. “(Y/N), you chose the only clear path there was at the time, and you chose well. Sef and his family are safe, Malik is alive, and we have Assassins on our side. The road to getting here might have been difficult, but trust yourself. You did what anyone,” Darim dropped his voice, knowing the respect she held for Altair, “what even my own father would’ve done.”

“You think so?” (Y/N) asked softly, their noses almost touching. Electricity sparked between them. Darim nodded, and she relaxed. “I still feel guilty. How do you think he’s been this whole time? I shouldn’t have left.”

Casting her eyes down, she focused on his hood. The spot were he held throwing knives was empty. “If you hadn’t, where would we be?” Her eyes flickered up to his. “It’s ok to feel what you’re feeling, but you have to look away from the past. It’s already happened. If there’s something you wish to change, then you must look to the future.”

She wasn’t sure how it happened or who had leaned in the remaining distance, probably her, but she remembered being entraced by Darim and then feeling a  bolt as their fingers parted and their lips met. He cupped her cheek, gently lifting her up to him, and her fingers tangled his curls.

Altair’s snoring grew loud, and they broke apart, laughing silently. “I suppose, given the present company...” She took Darim’s hand and they secured one another again. Nodding, Darim kissed it. “That will have to suffice.”

“For now.” Darim smiled, and she yawned. “You require sleep as much as I do.”

“You haven’t slept the longest.” Her eyes were heavy, and Darim angled his shoulder so that she found her head resting on it. He was warm, and his robes soft. Nuzzling her face into his shoulder, she got comfortable.

“Trust me.” Darim kissed her forehead. He’d waited for long to kiss her, he felt that now started, he was unable to stop. “I’ve never been more awake.”

[reflectionsofacreator]

what

whAT

Okay. Okay! Okay. Let’s. Dig into this. God I kinda feel like I should just cover the whole thing in one post, because I have a LOT of feelings that’ll probably get somewhat diluted by chopping this up, but like. I also have to cover a lot. I’m gonna put this post under a cut, mostly for the long ass block of quote text. Sorry mobile users.  

So after playing through this twice, thrice, I think I’ve got some of this down. If I’ve got anything wrong, please don’t tell me -- I’m going into these games for the first time, and I know I probably don’t have all the facts right. 

Thirty years ago, or thereabouts, something happened and Abbas took control of the Assassin Brotherhood? Ten years ago, Altair, Maria, and their eldest son Darim left to the East, to deal with the encroaching Mongol threat, and assassinate Genghis Khan, and only just returned, to find their Order a shadow of itself, and their youngest son dead by Abbas’ hand. 

God that’s a lot. 

I feel like there’s so much I’m missing, and that’s probably intentional? I was just thinking the other day that it’s surprising that Ezio had found two sequential Keys, instead of just jumping around. It kinda makes sense that the third key would end up being the most wildly different, with leaving the player/audience needing answers. 

From here, Altair and Maria walk together to go confront Abbas, and they remark on the change of the past ten years. 

Maria: Speak reasonably, and reasonable men will listen.  Altair: Some will, but not Abbas. I should have expelled him thirty years ago when he tried to steal the apple.  Maria: But you earned the respect of the other Assassins because you let him stay.  Altair (curiously): How do you know this? You were not there.  Maria: I married a masterful storyteller.  Altair: Look at this place. Masyaf is a shadow of it’s former self.  Maria: We have been away for a long time.  Altair: But not in hiding. The Mongol threat demanded our attention, and we rode to meet it. What man here can say the same?  Maria: Where is our eldest son? Does Darim know his brother is dead?  Altair: I sent him a message four days ago. With luck, it has reached him already.  Altair: Abbas... I almost pity him. He wears his grudge like a cloak.  Maria: His wound is deep. It will help him to hear the truth.  Altair: As I walk these streets, I sense a great fear in the people. Not love.  Maria: Abbas has dismantled this place, and robbed it of all joy.  Altair: We may be walking to our doom, Maria.  Maria: We may. But we walk together. 

(A lot of this dialogue feels stilted and rather rushed, tbh, like they were trying to get out WAY too much exposition in a really short time.)

So the way both of them act here is a very stark departure compared to their younger selves, which I suppose is only to be expected. That being said, it gave me whiplash, and like... I don’t even really feel like Maria’s the same character. 

You get access to her database entry, and it kinda made me pause. Maria left an extremely strong impression on me in ac1, for all the fact that she had about 5 to 10 minutes screen time. The Maria we see in this flashback is very different. Again, probably to be expected, given that she had minimal screen time, and some almost forty years to mature. 

But -- That’s the rub isn’t it? If you’re going to have a character come back that only had that much screen time, you should probably include some of their defining characteristics, lest you risk making them entirely unrecognizable. Like, I could actually see Maria being the one to want to rip out Abbas’ throat, and Altair counselling her peace. That’s kinda what he was about after he killed Al Mualim, was peace and negotiating. 

I know that Maria and Altair actually build their relationship in Bloodlines, the psp game, and that her character might match up more to the Revelations character here, but... Most people probably didn’t play that game, given its (and i say this with HEAVY air quotes) “spin off” nature. 

That being said, I can’t help but feel like this is another symptom of the devs wanting to make Altair more palatable, by giving him a wife that’s more domestic and non threatening, compared to her Asswhooping of Monumental Proportions she gave Altair in ac1. Like -- come on, she was tall and broad enough to pass for a man until Altair got her helmet off, there’s no universe in which she wasn’t butch as hell. 

And now off we go to confront Abbas... 

[teecupangel]

I’m desperately need your thoughts on a possible idea but I’m not sure if I wanna commit. Desmond somehow finds his way to Altairs time, specifically right before Abbas begins his takeover and Des manages to save Sef and Malik. Fast forward to everyone’s return, Maria and Darim are like oh my god you’re alive and Altair is like oh my god *blushing*

Obviously Maria is cool with a third (inspired by Maria/Giovanni/Des). Altair is still in love with her but a different love than what’s going on with Des, and Sef and Darim don’t know how to cope that their father is in love and actively having sex with a man significantly younger than they are.

Bonus idea* this is the same universe as your The Relentless Pleasurable Suffering of Desmond Miles on AO3 and Darim is just ranting about everything and Sef is just sweating in the background while Des stares at him from across the yard.

Let’s set up the AC setting first, since you wish to set this after Darim assassinated Genghis Khan, we’ll have to deal with the following:

Desmond’s place in Masyaf while Altaïr and the others are away

How Abbas’ coup affects the Levantine Brotherhood as a whole

Now, we can just chuck Desmond right as Abbas finalizes the details of his coup. However, in this scenario, Abbas’ influence had been festering for a very long time now.

For his coup to be successful, he must ensure that Altaïr and his allies would be discredited to some degree beforehand.

And he has a good idea on how to do it: Altaïr’s Apple and history.

The Apple is self-explanatory at this point and I do enjoy making use of it in some of my fics, like in The Second where Abbas pretty much outright states that Altaïr is hoarding the Apple’s secret for himself.

So let’s focus on how Abbas could push others to his side by using Altaïr’s history. His main points would be:

He went rogue before and assassinated people without the permission of a Rafiq or Al Mualim (an oversimplification of what happened in Altaïr’s Chronicles)

He had failed a very important mission that led to the death of a brother and it’s only by Al Mualim’s mercy that he wasn’t killed for his failure (AC1)

He killed Al Mualim without real proof of his treachery (AC1 - this would gain him the support of those who still believed Al Mualim did nothing wrong)

He spent years away from Masyaf when he should be there, being the mentor they needed during a time of change (End of Bloodlines when he joined Maria in her travels)

Abbas would also whisper poisoned words to the Assassins who feel that their work isn’t being valued enough as the Levantine Brotherhood is structured more on the side of meritocracy. Also, at this point, there are many Assassins who are too young to remember Malik as one of the more promising Assassins in the field before Jerusalem happened. These ones would be those weak in spirit that Abbas could whisper about how Malik became the acting mentor because of his close friendship with Altaïr. Why else would they choose such a man as Malik instead of other Assassins to act as the mentor, considering what he ‘lacks’? It doesn’t matter that Malik has done more for the Brotherhood than most of them. It doesn’t matter that he has lost so much for the Brotherhood.

What mattered was that Malik is stuck taking care of what should have been Altaïr’s job high up the office while Abbas was the one on the grounds, having enough time to observe which Assassin could be turned to his side.

What about Sef then? Sef has a very deliberating factor against him. He’s Altaïr’s son. Considering his age and his current position in the Brotherhood by the time his family left for Genghis Khan, we would be around 19~20 years old when he took the role of Malik’s second-in-command. Whether this is an official position or does not matter. Sef’s high standing in the Brotherhood could be taken as another evidence of why Altaïr doesn’t deserve to be the mentor: nepotism and favoritism. If we include the idea that Malik and Sef were having an affair like in The Relentless Pleasurable Suffering of Desmond Miles, you bet there are going to be rumors about their secret affair as well which will make some of the more conservative Assassins balk.

Abbas might even stoke the flames himself.

The main reason why I spent time dealing with all that setup is that I promise that Desmond managed to save Sef and Malik (and their allies including Rauf because it’s implied his ‘sickness’ had been orchestrated by Abbas) because he immediately went to Masyaf the moment he got kicked into this time period. Desmond easily got into Malik’s office thanks to the ‘borrowed’ Assassin robes he got from the nearest bureau he found before making the trip to Masyaf and he tries to play it off like he had been made aware of a coup.

Malik isn’t stupid. He knows Desmond is not saying everything he knows but he cannot dismiss his claims as well. But, if what Desmond is saying is true, then he needs to see what can be done first.

In this case, nothing could be done.

Abbas’ claws had dug too deep into the very foundation of Masyaf itself at this point. Desmond was simply too late and the tides of change are already on their way.

What they are left with is to either hold their ground or go with the tides.

Malik chooses the later. Because he believed that Altaïr will be able to turn the tides once he returned.

Also, he cannot… he will not risk the lives of their remaining allies and their families just on the chance that they can survive the tides.

Especially his new born son and…

Sef…

(Sidenote: in this scenario, let’s make Malik’s wife his beard who knows about the affair. Hell, let’s make them each other’s beard. Malik and Sef are having an affair and they married two women who loved one another. They planned for their children to all grow up as siblings.)

So Malik gets their allies out of Masyaf. Send some of them faraway missions. Get their families to leave Masyaf to ‘visit’ relatives. Rauf’s declining health got him to send him and his family somewhere else with an explanation of ‘there’s a doctor there who might be able to help’.

Of course, Abbas isn’t stupid. He sees this happening and knows something’s up. He’s not sure just how much Malik knows but he is sure Malik knows something.

So he accelerates the timetable.

This makes it easier for Malik to see his moves though. It comes to a head where both of them tipped their hands: Abbas arranged a late meeting at night. The following dawn, Malik and Sef’s family leaves Masyaf (together with Sef).

So Abbas makes his move. No fancy false charges. No assassination attempts.

He and his coconspirators take Masyaf.

Of course, with such a blatant takeover, there are more Assassins who would not like this. Not enough to push them back as Malik had made sure the ones they are sure are allied with them were far away in Masyaf already.

(It would be later on that Altaïr would ask him why he did not simply do the opposite. Why not have Abbas’ allies be the ones sent away from Masyaf. To that, Malik would answer, “To contain a festering wound, you cut off the limb before it infests the rest of the body. Masyaf’s wound has festered far too long to be saved. Not by me.”)

And Malik was the only person truly loyal to Altaïr left in Masyaf. Everybody else was either on Abbas’ side or those who didn’t care either way.

Just as Malik planned.

Because this way, Abbas would have a prize. Abbas’ anger and thirst for vengeance would be quenched even for just a bit.

And…

Malik was betting that his death would be enough for Altaïr’s eyes to finally be opened. For Altaïr to finally do what he should have done all those years ago when Abbas used the Apple during the burning of Al Mualim’s body.

For Altaïr to finally let go of his childhood hope that Abbas would finally see the truth and they could reconcile their shattered friendship.

Even if it wasn’t…

Malik was betting that Sef would avenge his death.

And that’s when Desmond comes in and saves him. Malik is unsure how Desmond was there when he specifically ordered Desmond to ride to Alamut to tell the Assassins there about Abbas’ plans and to ask for sanctuary for their allies.

Desmond did that… by sending a pigeon then keeping an eye on things in Masyaf all in an effort to find a good time to assassinate Abbas (didn’t work. Abbas had become too paranoid because of all the moves Malik had made).

Malik is the one who stops Desmond from killing anyone, tells him that doing so would further fracture the Brotherhood.

So they run.

They meet up with their allies in Alamut and that’s where they stay, sending pigeons to all the bureaus and other Brotherhoods about what has happened in Masyaf.

(And on this part a scene between Malik and Sef concerning Malik’s plan and Sef chewing him out for it)

And it’s in Alamut that Altaïr and the others go to after their mission was done.

Just enough time has passed that Desmond was able to store the important memories in the memory seals in Alamut for Altaïr to watch.

No matter what questions they ask Desmond, he refuses to answer any of their questions.

Because he wants to tell Altaïr first.

He wants Altaïr to be the one to know who he truly is.

More than anything, he wants Altaïr to be the one to decide his fate in this world he finds himself in.

Unorganized Notes:

We can go either way with how this pairing would work. Either we make this full on Altaïr/Desmond/Maria where Desmond becomes both of their lovers or this is more of a case of Desmond being Altaïr’s lover and having a close friendship with Maria.

If you prefer for Desmond to be Altaïr’s lover alone, it could be that Altaïr and Maria’s relationship had changed. They still love one another but they feel no urge for anything physical anymore. But Altaïr felt it once more for Desmond.

In this scenario, Altaïr and Desmond would start their relationship only when Maria gives her blessing. Before that, there’s gonna be pining on both sides that everyone could see.

Once they start their relationship, it’s gonna be tricky because Altaïr wouldn’t want to hide Desmond at all while Desmond would want to hide their relationship because he knows Abbas could use their relationship to further smear Altaïr’s reputation.

And that is when Altaïr decides to do what he had always been planning to do: retire.

There will be the 12th-century version of “Oh god, he’s finally having his midlife crisis” outrage, and the fact that Altaïr is doing this AFTER Abbas’ coup will be fanning the flames even more.

So they make a compromise that Altaïr will retire once they get Masyaf back but he also makes preparations for his final contribution: to push the Brotherhood back to the shadows.

At that point, the plot can either: focus on the plans to get Masyaf back or on Altaïr and Desmond’s developing relationship. (Pick one and the other one will become the background setup, kinda like plot B)

Darim and Sef would have an awkward relationship with Desmond. Darim more awkward than Sef as Sef would play off the awkwardness by joking “should we call you ‘father’ as well?”

Sef is honestly ‘oh okay’ son in this scenario because he is in a similar situation with Malik.

Oh yeah, Altaïr and Maria knew about their relationship BEFORE they went to assassinate Genghis Khan. They were just waiting for Sef and Malik to fess up.

They still gave them hell and Altaïr enjoyed giving the shovel talk to Malik just for the hell of it.

Malik turned the table on him later on by saying that, since Desmond is technically an orphan (“He’s an adult, Malik.” “Who needs someone to keep an eye on him and it’s certainly not going to be you. How much have you spent on the gifts you’ve given him this past month, hm?”), he gave Altaïr the shovel talk as well since he is the ‘adult’ (“Again, he’s an adult as well”) who had worked closely with Desmond the most.

I do have the habit of making Darim have a crush on Desmond so if you want Darim to be super awkward, make him have a crush on his father’s lover. XD

Darim ranting about Altaïr and Desmond’s relationship to Sef is funnier when you remember Darim knows Sef and Malik are secretly lovers. Darim had assisted Sef more than once in making sure Altaïr didn’t know about it so he’s ranting to Sef knowing Sef can relate to Desmond more than anyone in Alamut. He’s doing it on purpose to make his little brother squirm.

Maria would definitely have tea parties with Malik and Desmond. Desmond dubbed it the “Altaïr Support Club” and the name stuck.

If Maria is part of the pairings, pegging will be involved. Desmond would definitely be the most bottom of the three of them and there will definitely be scenes where Maria or Altaïr watches Desmond getting the life fucked out of him.

Also…………… kinky sex making use of the Apple’s hallucinations and mind control capabilities.

[storytimefromthecreed]

How It Should Have Happened

(3)

If anyone but Altair had told her this, she would not have listened. As it were, the golden eyes on the Mentor bore down on her, but it was his tone that she respected. Altair spoke to her gently, but firmly. Knowing he was telling her that he was doing this for her and because of her. It’s true, she thought as they’d left. An emotional reunion in a prison would take time they didn’t have, and they needed to save Malik.

Remaining behind with Maria wasn’t terrible, but neither one broke the silence. Both awaiting their partners’ return. An hour passed, then another. Maria was close to sending (Y/N) when the door opened and the trio rushed in. The house was cramped.

Dirty and covered in rags, Malik was laid on the bed. Having spent the time gathering water and collecting medicine, Maria tended to him as Altair recounted the mission in angry tones. Pushed back to the far side of the room, (Y/N) stood watching. Malik’s head lolled to one side and then the other, weakly. Their reunion would have wait.

Softly taking her hand, Darim gave her a reassuring squeeze accompanied with a look before returning his attention to the task at hand. Maria motioned over for (Y/N) and began instructing her. “Change his bandages when the blood starts to show, there’s water there, wash like this...” She’d watched Maria tend to patients dozens of times, but knew better than to interrupt her.

“We’ve rallied our men and are going to speak to Abbas and his counsel.” Altair spoke, and she realized he was speaking directly to her. She nodded, and worked her hands the way Maria wanted. “Stay with Malik until he’s awake, then I ask you stay in the shadows until we require your assistance.”

“Surely my being alive will tell the Assassins all they need of Abbas’s lies?” But Altair was already shaking his head.

“Abbas’s lies have reached the very heart of the Brotherhood. With the men we have, we are hopeful we will turn the tide long enough for talks.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Then we talk again until they understand.” Altair concluded. “We will not spill the blood of our brothers. Along with bringing Sef back and showing that he and his are alive, we will compare that to Malik’s tale, and finally, to yours.” Altair explained. It sounded like a lot of talking.

“Just tell me the part I am to play.” (Y/N) said, and, for the briefest moment, she thought Altair smiled at her.

“We’ll return by nightfall. Then, this will all be behind us.”

Keeping her ears open for the slightest sound of fight, she tended to Malik until he woke. Gasping, it took a moment for his eyes to focus, and when they did, a large smile stretched across his face. “I knew you’d come back.”

“Malik!” She threw her arms around him, and he groaned. “I’m so sorry!” She recoiled, but he was laughing and sat up. He was weak, but the color was returning to his face. His hair was to his shoulders and oily, and his beard was unkempt. The bones of his shoulders were beginning to protrude as were the ones on his collar. “You should eat.” Nodding, she offered him a bit of soup and bread, then some water. “How are you feeling?”

“Better knowing you have returned.” Malik drank the soup and rested with his head against the wall.

“Yes, I’m excited to see what Altair has done.”

“I’m excited to see what you do.” Malik said, and laughed at her face. “Are you serious? Have you really not understood the part you’ve played?” Malik straightened himself, and wavered her away when she hovered. “I might be old, but I’m dead.” He laughed, and she frowned.

“That’s not funny.”

“What’s funny is an Assassin like you not giving yourself credit.” He chuckled, biting into his bread. “Who else can say they ran out of Masyaf and returned a hero?”

“Altair- oh.” She felt her face growing hot. Had that really happened? Recounting the last months, had her story mirrored that of the Assassin she looked up to? What did that say about her? Seeing that she was understanding, Malik nodded. “But I didn’t do much, Malik. I’m not even in the fight.”

“Heroes don’t need violence or blood to tally their wins. Even moving the wheels of the truth is a ballard.” Malik’s head lolled to the side, and she went to the other side of the room to grab a pillow.

“I wish I could help more, Malik. I wish-” A shadow ran across the window. Without training, she’d believe it were a bird or passing cloud. Placing a finger to her lips, she backed into the corner of the room and engaged her hidden blade. Malik lay on the bed, and pretended to be asleep.

A second passed. A minute. A few. Controlling her breathing, she kept her body limber. Couldn’t have her cramping from being too tense.

Slowly the door opened, and a man tiptoed over to the bed. Producing a dagger from his side, he brought it up. “I’ve a gift from Abbas to Altair, and you’re going to help me deliver it.”

Unleashing the spring of her pent of energy, anger, and frustrations, she tackled into the man. His dagger fell and there was the snick of the hidden blade, but it was too late. Pinned against the wall, the man’s eyes went from her’s to Malik’s. “Can I help?” She asked, and his hand twitched. “Look me in my eyes. Do you think I don’t want a fight? And you do think you would stand a chance if that happened?”

The man gulped.

The hillside was filled with Assassin and villager alike. Abbas roared to the crowd, “Hear how he lies! After killing our Mentor and keeping the Piece of Eden for himself, Altair would have Masyaf for his whims!”

“Enough, Abbas!” Altair called back. “Look at the damage that has fallen on our reputation! To the decay of our way of life! Let’s end this, so that we may build a better tomorrow.”

“Better for whom, I wonder?”

“Abbas! We have witnesses!” Altair called, playing his hand. “How can punishment be dealt if no crime is committed?”

“So it was you who broke into our prison and released the prisoner?”

“A man put there without a crime!”

(Y/N) was growing restless, but trusted her instructions. That was how they’d gotten so far. There was a lot of yelling between Altair and Abbas before Altair finally addressed the crowd and revealed that Sef was alive. At this, Abbas didn’t move.

Returning to the crowd, Altair spoke, “As my son is alive, how can Malik be held for his murder?” Murmurs ran along the villager side and Assassin side. “Along with another victim thought to be dead. (Y/N) is alive as well! And she walks among us.” Had Abbas grown pale?

“You- you’re lying-”

“Why? Because your men had told you they’d killed her? Had presented you a body?”

“Where is she?”

“Worry about that during trials, Abbas. You will be held accoutable for your crimes against your fellow Assassins, and to the Brotherhood.” Sensing the shift in power, the men siding with Abbas dropped to their knees, their weapons landing to the ground. Altair’s Assassin’s gathered them.

“What are you doing? What are you doing?” Abbas yelled, and a group of Assassins surrounded him. “You’ve always been a liar, Altair! You can’t fool me!”

“Take him to the dungeon.” Altair said, and Abbas was taken away. A sense of relief filled the hillside, and there was small cheering. Staying to the shadows, (Y/N) darted her way through people until she reached him.

“A man tried to assassinate Malik. Convinced him that he should show me Abbas’s papertrail instead.”

"Excuse me?” Altair flipped through the papers, and it was all there. In his own hand, Abbas had sealed his fate. “I look forward to hearing your stories. Thank you.” They smiled at one another, and then she melted into the crowd once more.

It took a few months, but Masyaf was finally beginning to look and feel like it’s former self. Maybe even better. Abbas had been killed for the lives he’d taken during his coup, Sef and his family returned to Masyaf, and there were talks of a early spring.

Darim and (Y/N) were still seeing one another, much to Altair and Malik’s happiness. They could see the old men watching from the tower as Darim would walk her through the garden or when they’d sneak into the library and she’d have him reach the books on the highest shelves for her. They seemed to be waiting. For what? She couldn’t imagine.

It only got worse when she began to notice Maria and Sef doing it too.

“Malik has a son.” She said, trying to ignore the eyes of Masyaf on her, but it was hard. Surely, they weren’t staring, were they? Darim tightened his hold on her hand as they strolled.

“Does he now?” Darim nodded, but his eyes were far away. It was official. Everyone was acting weird. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Of course.”

Taking both her hands, Darim placed them at his mouth when he spoke. He never feared public displays of affection, enjoyed it, in fact. Though they kept the kissing and carressing in private, they were always holding hands and he was always kissing her elsewhere. Her hands and forehead mainly.

“Can you meet me in the training yard? Sundown?”

They hadn’t properly trained since they’d gotten together, and she was confused as to why he wanted to train so late. “Sure, what should I bring?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll bring the supplies.” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye, then a strange look that he quickly concealed. Kissing her hands once more, he took off.

He hadn’t gotten far before Malik appeared, flanked by his father and his mother. Darim groaned. It was hard enough thinking of a way to do it, must he have an audience? “Is my daughter not good enough? Is that staying your hand?” Malik’s lips twitched, and if he had both arms, Darim could image him crossing them.

“Just go up to her and ask.” Altair stated.

“Making it meaningful is important to him, Altair.” Maria told him before returning to her son. “Just do something that’s special between the two of you.” Darim thanked them for their advice and strode the complete opposite way until he ran into Sef.

“Not you too.” Darim felt he could ram his head into a wall. When he’d told them he was planning this, he’d hoped for support, ideas, maybe even a pep talk. Just not so many!

Sef smirked, enjoying his older brother’s torment. “How do you think it was when I did it?”

At sundown, the training yard was empty. As it be expected, the Assassins were probably eating or getting ready for bed. But the air was different. It wasn’t that the training ground was empty, it was that it was abandoned.

Targets lined up along the wall, but there was no weapons. The skies were turning from delicate pinks to soft velvet to starry before her eyes. It was her favorite time of the day. On a nearby bench lay a flower, and (Y/N) went to join it. No sooner had she placed it at her nose, a whizzing sound filled the courtyard. Then the smack as the arrow found it’s target.

She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to see who could make such an unbelieveable shot, but she did anyway. Darim leaned casually against his bow, all smiles. Raising a brow, she giggled, blew him a kiss, and returned her attention to the arrow. Then her jaw dropped.

Clasping her hands together, she spun around, checking to see if he was laughing because surely this was a joke!

“What do you say?” His voice echoed throughout Masyaf.

“Yes!” Darim abandoned his bow and leapt over the side of the castle. Rolling out of the haystack, he ran to her and swept her in his arms. “Yes!” She said, this time between them.

The tail was goose feather, and on the shaft of the arrow was a gold ring.