#basim will get his redemption arc in this one

[teecupangel]

Eivor is that friendly (vice)mayor that checks on everyone every time they return and Desmond doesn't realize it that whenever Eivor checks up on him now, they always ask "And how is Hytham? Has Basim been around lately or sent a letter?"

And Desmond is oblivious to it and just answers how they're doing.

Everyone in Ravensthorpe just decides 'yeah, these three hooded guys are together in some ways and we accept them for who they are' so people would be coming to Desmond to say 'if you see Basim, can you tell him…' or 'Hytham seems to be out at the moment, could you please give him these?' and, whenever Desmond returns from a mission, Hytham would greet him with the usual spiel of how his mission was a success and then has a list of messages from Ravensthorpe for him.

Desmond thinks it's like having a secretary…

And not a kid who picked up the phone for his parents and wrote down messages.

Daily dinner is a thing for Desmond and Hytham but whenever Eivor calls for a feast, they're always seated next to each other. They both feel a sense of homesickness and find solidarity with each other's company because, for all intents and purposes, they are both Hidden Ones (although Desmond does slip and calls himself an Assassin more than once).

And, sure, Ravensthorpe has been more like a close relatives kind of place for Desmond. He likes hearing people say 'welcome back!' when he returns. He likes the kids running up to him and asking him about the places he's been to and if he brought back anything cool (he always does). He likes having chats with Randvi about what happened while he was away. He even likes talking to Osbert about the many Roman artifacts he and Eivor brings him (with Ezio's education coming full force to help him with conversing with the man) and he is, without a doubt (shut up, Eivor, you don't count), the Ravensthorpe Orlog champion.

But there's something about the comfortable silence, the smell of tea and paper with the hint of oil that makes Hytham's bureau bring Desmond both a sense of peace and a sense of nostalgia. Sometimes, he would be in his own little world for a bit, hear a sound, and see Malik instead of Hytham. Sometimes, he would hear the sounds of children's playing outside and he would smile as he tells Darim and Sef to be careful, only to realize that those were the children of the village, not his sons.

During those times, Desmond couldn't even feel annoyed because of Altaïr's bleed. Just... sadness and grief.

And Hytham would simply give him a hot cup of tea and that kindness would be enough.

... I feel like I understand what you mean by them misinterpreting Desmond's reluctance to speak about Maria but all I can imagine is Desmond accidentally saying something that would pinpoint Altaïr as Darim and Sef's actual father and they're just like 'I thought you were their father?'

and Desmond just blanks out and blurts, "I'm their other father. Altaïr is their first father."

And Desmond hopes to god that they assume he means he's their stepfather (and prays that Maria and Altaïr forgives him for suggesting they separated and he married Maria)

Instead, they assumed that Desmond was involved with a man and adopted the man's sons as his own.

Desmond is mortified but, at the same time, thinks that's better because it will make any slips about Altaïr actually easier to cover (oh my god, his life, he can hear his bleed of Ezio laughing in the background and Connor's bleed actually trying to pat him on the back)

Basim hears this and goes 'oooohh' (and maybe even thinks 'so there's a chance...')

While Hytham goes to Eivor and tells them about this.

Hytham: "This means Basim has a chance with Desmond."

Eivor: "A chance? Are they not already together?"

Hytham: "No? Why would you think that?"

Eivor: (Remembers how everyone in Ravensthorpe pretty much assumed they were Hytham's two dads and nobody just said anything because it's all hushhush and all that prim and proper shit Eivor doesn't even care about) "I have been mistaken. Perhaps I simply saw how they look at one another and assumed."

Hytham: "That's alright. They're not subtle about it."

(Desmond doesn't even know that Basim has a crush on him??? His intense 'staring' is more of 'I wanna trust you and I kinda like you but my body is saying kill you and I don't wanna do that...')

Cue the entirety of the Ravensthorpe trying to 'parent-trap' them. Desmond has no clue. Basim knows what they're doing and he is both amused and embarrassed by it.

(Oh yeah, it'll definitely catch Basim's and Hytham's attention while Desmond tries to bang his head on the nearest wall while trying to strangle his bleed of Altaïr)

I shall blame a particularly good story on this one, but - I shall toss another time travel!Deamond at you. Except this time it's nowhere Desmond was before, as he lands smack bang in Valhalla setting. Say, shortly before Sigurd returns. And let's assume that the campfire scenes are Basim's actual character. How does Desmond fare, and whom does he stick to?

I’m getting Skyrim intro vibes of Desmond just waking up with Eivor going:

Annnnyyywaaaayyy

So they got captured by Kjotve (Eivor tells him that they saw him already chained and unconscious when they got there) and the prologue happens but with Desmond helping Eivor beat them up (they still get away because Eivor’s beaten up and Desmond… shit… it’s too cold, a hoodie and jeans are not good for this)

After the battle, Eivor tells him he’s a strange man but they believe that Desmond is a strong fighter and will be happy to welcome him to their clan (they’ll even vouch for him to their jarl) and Desmond, having no other leads because his knowledge of history is only as far as what his bleed pushes into his brain and whatever conpiracy-ridden history rants Shaun gives him agrees to join them (for now, until he knows where/when the fuck he is)

So he’s getting acquainted with Eivor’s people (and changed to more suitable clothes because holy shit it’s cold) and is in a very competitive match of Orlog (Connor’s competitive side for board games on the forefront, being fueled by Altaïr and Ezio’s general competitive personalities) when Sigurd returns with his ‘guests’.

Desmond immediately goes “Assassins! FINALLY!” when he sees Basim and Hytham, but stays in the shadows because “good Assassins? Abbas-bad Assassins? Al Mualim-bad Assassins? Let’s be sure first.”

But he gets dragged into the celebrations and Eivor finds him in the shadows so they talk to him (maybe even suggest a drinking contest?) and that’s where Sigurd finds them. The cutscene happens as it does with Desmond next to Eivor being awkward and thinking (Should I just slip away? Would it count as rude if I slip away?)

Sigurd gestures Basim and Hytham (Desmond really really has a hard time getting used to that name because Haytham Kenway) to come over and Eivor receives Sigurd’s gift of the hidden blade and recognizes it as similar to Desmond’s so they look at him as they say “How curious, Desmond-”

Desmond’s like big doe eyeing Eivor and mentally telling Eivor nope don’t tell them about my obviously more advanced hidden blade sssshhhhh

And Eivor’s improvised it to “might be interested in seeing this? He is like Sýnin taken human form!”

And Desmond doesn’t like being called a magpie (hey, it’s not his fault his Eagle Vision just started pinging every chest as gold and he’s like “might be important to my situation? oh, just actual gold… (disappointed face)”) but it was better than being outed by unknown possible Assassins (the hoods were a dead giveaway) so he looks at Eivor’s hidden blade and is like…

………

Holy shit.

He recognizes it.

It’s the same as the ones the Assassins in Alamut used. The hidden blades said to have been used by those before them that even Al Mualim thought were 'these are centuries old, nope, we’ll make our own, thanks.’ and Desmond realizes.

He’s been thrown further than any time period he’s familiar with.

Fuck.

As his brain’s going 'ohgodshitwhatdoidoknowfuckfuckfuckaltaïryoubetterhavememoriesofreadingthistimeperiodbecauseohmygod’, Eivor straps it the way they do and Desmond accidentally cut Basim off by telling Eivor they have strapped it the wrong way.

Oh shit. Basim and Hytham are now looking at him and he’s like…

“I mean… look at how they wear it, right?” Desmond awkwardly points at Hytham’s left arm 'cause Basim has his hands behind him and he hopes it freaking works.

Eivor, bless them, takes over and says that they’re also missing a finger and the cutscene goes like Valhalla.

Things happen, Desmond gets recruited to join Eivor and their fight, he sees Hytham getting thrashed 'cause of that jump assassination (and his bleed of Altaïr telling him what Hytham did wrong, his improper posture, his… god, stop it, obviously the dude’s new at this, give him some slack) and the entire time Basim is observing him. He could feel Basim’s eyes on him.

And it’s making him jittery because there’s something about Basim.

Something about him that just screams at Desmond to pay attention, to not let his guard down…

To kill Basim.

And he doesn’t know what it is and, from the way Basim interacts with everyone (even Desmond), he doesn’t seem to be a bad dude.

So he stays away and observes Basim as well.

The same things happens as is Valhalla.

They reach England, they set up Raventhorpe.

Basim goes with Sigurd.

And Desmond stays with Eivor because ain’t no way he’s gonna travel to unknown places with a dude he doesn’t know that well (Sigurd) and someone that makes him want to kill him (Basim).

He stick with Eivor.

And more specifically…

With Hytham.

Because Hytham reminds him of Kadar.

Of Darim and Sef.

Of every recruit that Ezio has taken under his wing.

The plot of AC Valhalla happens but, this time, Desmond takes over the whole Hidden One subplot (with Eivor joining the story mandatory targets) and he becomes close to Hytham.

To Eivor.

To everyone in Raventhorpe.

He’s the strange man that’s not Dane, Norse, or English.

And that makes him everyone’s friend.

Eivor becomes the pseudo-jarl in Sigurd’s absence, Randvi stays as their second-in-command and Desmond…

Desmond sorta becomes like a freelancer of sorts that helps out anyone who needs it (priority goes to Hytham though) and his suggestions and comments are taken seriously, even by Eivor and Randvi.

(Annnndd that’s as far as I got)

Some 'unorganized’ notes I thought of:

Desmond’s body is reacting to Basim being completely assimilated with Loki (it’s like a defense mechanism because of the trauma he sustained thanks to Juno… and technically Minerva)

This does mean he starts getting the same 'allergic reaction’ the more Sigurd becomes unhinged with Tyr’s memories

Hytham knows Desmond has a hidden blade but says nothing about it (he reports it to the council though and their leading 'idea’ is Desmond is from a different branch, perhaps somewhere in Europe, or may actually be a child of an Assassin who trained him but didn’t have the chance to induct him to the Brotherhood)

Vinland… oooohhh booyy. Vinland’s entire subplot’s gonna change because Desmond can understand them. There will be a scene where Desmond will look at the Grand Temple and wonder why he got sent to this time period. Is it this? Is it because of the Grand Temple? Desmond will also debate with himself if he should destroy the crystal ball. If keeping Juno from influencing Connor would be the right thing to do, even if it means that Connor won’t be able to help the Revolution and maybe he’ll even become a victim instead once shit hits the fan.

Those 'potions’ Valka gives don’t make Desmond see 'Valhalla’, instead, it works as a pseudo-Animus that lets him relive his ancestors’ memories (maybe even make him relive a certain pirate’s memories too? hhhhmmm)

Personally, I think Desmond would side with Eivor until the end and will even help him take down Basim but he’ll understand Basim’s lust for revenge. It’s not that different from Ezio’s thirst for vengeance against the Templars and the Borgias or Connor’s hunt for Charles Lee after all BUT Desmond draws the line in Basim trying to kill the reincarnation of Odin, especially when it’s clear that Basim is driven to vengeance by Loki’s memories while Eivor doesn’t even have any of Odin’s memories anyway.

(I like the ending of Desmond actually getting into the simulation and that this whole thing was for Layla to give the staff to Desmond so he can be 'reborn’… but I wanna keep Layla alive so no 'oh this will kill you in seconds if you let go of the staff’ because, bad ubisoft, bad)

[ithinkthiswasabadidea]

Can't help myself from taking bets on which characters are going to make it alive to the end of the game, and also which ones will inevitably be revealed as members of the Order of Ancients

So far I've got:

1. Sigurd - high chance he's not going to make it, being Eivor's brother, and we all know that these games LOVE to kill familial characters to use as 'character growth'

2. Hytham - I'm like 90% sure I saw spoilers ages ago that he dies (or maybe it was Basim...) Still. 😬 not looking good for you, my lad

3. Ubba and Ivarr Ragnarsson - certain that the nice one is gonna cark it. No one who acts with a level(ish) head makes it in these games. 50/50 that the scrappy little guy will either die because he's a bloodthirsty bastard OR he gets a redemption arc somewhere along the line

4. Ceolwulf - I think he's got a low chance of either of the two options. I haven't learnt much about him but he seems okay so far 👌

5. The son of Ceolwulf - not a fucking chance. That kid came on screen being all intelligent and respectful and I already had a vision of his death scene

6. Styrbjorn - maaaannn..... I'm comparing characters from Odyssey and he's gonna take a Perikles style dirt nap I'm sure of it

7. King Harald - I think he's going to have an Aspasia type reveal later in the game. I don't trust him though I wish I could

I have not yet met anyone of enough importance that I can remember lol but we'll see how close or horribly far my guesses are as I go