#lorenzo is just trying to avenge the death of his brother?

[teecupangel]

Another Desmond reborn as X, but this one is as Uberto Alberti's kid. Who we don't know anything about but "family" is the reason he betrayed his friend supposedly so I'd be interesting if Desmond could try and avoid it this time around.

According to the transcription of Uberto’s database in ACII:

Now, I found a backdoor into the Templars' database server, I've been combing it for some kind of smoking gun. I found it. Apparently, Uberto's family was evicted by the Medici bank. Uberto's been aching for revenge ever since, and the Templars promised him support. Ezio's father was standing in the way AND Uberto was jealous of his influence over the Florentine government. Two birds with one stone, isn't it? It looks like Uberto used his election to the Signoria as his opportunity to strike.

Apparently, he joined the Templars because the Medici evicted his family.

If he is part of the real House Alberti, there is no mentions of any evictions in wiki nor any mention of an Uberto. The Albertis were allies of the Medici as far as I read.

Returned to Florence, in the 15th century they were first allied to the Medici against the Albizzi. Main members of the period include writer Antonio Alberti, cardinal Alberto di Giovanni Alberti and architect and Renaissance theorist Leon Battista Alberti.

But wiki did say that they “divided into different lines, who owned several houses and towers near the modern Ponte alle Grazie” and “Some of them were admitted in the Venetian nobility late in the century” so maybe Uberto’s family wasn’t one of those few fortunate Albertis to gain nobility.

So, really…

Giovanni died and dragged his two sons with him because of his ties to the Medicis.

And Desmond would point that out.

In this setup, Desmond would probably think of Uberto as a good father as he did stress he did it for his family (although another setup is that Uberto is using the whole “I’m doing it for my family” to hide his greed and thirst for power but that would be a bit boring so we’ll go down the ‘a good man wishing to avenge his family’s misfortunes’ route instead).

So Desmond would want to protect his new family (especially if he has younger siblings). When they get evicted, Desmond understood why Uberto did what he did. Maybe add in the drama of the eviction being all of a sudden or not given any warning before they were evicted during a time when Firenze was having ‘money problems’.

Desmond knew that the Templars would contact Uberto then and tried to stop Uberto from saying yes to the Templars but he’d say that this was their only choice if they wish to protect their family.

(If you really wanna drive in a conundrum, one of Desmond’s siblings or his mother falls ill during this time and the financial support the Templars gave them is what kept them from dying or maybe said mother/sibling was already ill and almost died had it not been for the Templars’ money)

In the end, Desmond tries to leave the Auditores alone but, instead, Ezio found him and started to talk to him. Desmond couldn’t help but form a bond with Ezio anyway, maybe become a close friend who doesn’t really like to be seen with others.

Ezio knows Desmond spend most of his time caring for his ailing sibling/mother, and he remembers Petruccio so he has a soft spot for Desmond.

Anyway…

Uberto still becomes a Templar and Desmond tries to undermine him, first by trying to save the decoded message that Giovanni needed but that failed because Uberto knew that Desmond was trying to stop him so he’s become more ‘suspicious’. He never scolds Desmond though and he understands what his son is doing so he tells Desmond to continue to try and stop him…

“This way… no matter which sides wins, our family will be safe.”

And Desmond realized then and there that Uberto was ready to die if it meant their family would be safe and financially secured.

In the end…

Desmond helped Giovanni, Federico and Petruccio escape by unlocking their cage and telling them that Uberto’s a Templar. Desmond begs Giovanni to not kill Uberto, that he’ll be able to make Uberto understand that they have failed and they’ll leave Firenze, hell, they’ll leave all of Italia, just…

“Please… don’t kill padre.”

Giovanni promises not to kill Uberto if they leave Firenze as soon as possible.

And Desmond is able to persuade Uberto to do just that, telling him that revenge means nothing if it would lead to his death.

.

Now.

The happy ending would be that Desmond and Ezio would see each other and there will be this strain in their friendship because of Uberto’s betrayal that they will slowly get past.

But…

The more angst-filled route would be…

Lorenzo wants all the conspirators of the Pazzi conspiracy to be killed and Uberto was one of them. He orders Giovanni to kill Uberto and Giovanni tried to say no, at first, only to acquiesce once Lorenzo reminded him who he was ‘allies’ with.

Desmond finds an Assassin standing in front of his father’s bleeding corpse and the darkness and his shock made it hard for him to see the Assassin clearly.

All he knows…

… was that the Assassin was wearing Ezio’s robes…

.

.

In this setup, Desmond would be torn between wanting to take vengeance or being the person to cut the noose of revenge that keeps looping and looping around all of them.

His trust in the Auditores would be destroyed and Desmond would want to believe that it wasn’t Ezio, that maybe it was Giovanni or even Federico but a part of him would whisper that it could have been Ezio. Ezio wasn’t there when Desmond begged for his father’s life.

Last time he saw Ezio, he was wearing those robes…

And Desmond can’t…

… will not kill Ezio even if a part of him wished to avenge Uberto’s death.

They had no reason to kill him.

His family had exiled themselves away from Firenze, living as normal farmers of all things.

He…

He needed to know the truth.

And, once he knows it…

That’s when he’ll decide how to end this chain of vengeance.

With blood spilled… or not.

[markantonys]

let me tell you about giovanni de’ pazzi and beatrice borromei. giovanni was francesco and guglielmo’s brother and beatrice was his wife. beatrice was from a super rich family and didn’t have any siblings, so she was all set to inherit a huge amount of money when her father died. the pazzi family would then get even richer than they already were.

you know who just couldn’t have this? lorenzo de’ medici. who proceeded to enact a new law limiting female inheritance in some way (i forget the details) that prevented beatrice from getting her dad’s money and instead ensured that it passed to her male cousin instead (who iirc was a friend of the medici).

and like, the timing of this was not subtle at all so everyone knew that lorenzo had passed this law SPECIFICALLY to target beatrice and by extent the pazzi, who were rightfully pissed about this. and this whole ordeal is actually considered one of the major causes of the pazzi conspiracy. i’m not saying The Pazzi Did Nothing Wrong but like. they were definitely provoked a lot more than the show would have you believe. even giuliano reportedly gave lorenzo shit for this stunt because he thought he was pushing his luck too far with the pazzi. i bet lorenzo was real sorry when he remembered this after the conspiracy yikes

footnote to this story: giovanni de’ pazzi, who was NOT involved in the conspiracy, was nevertheless imprisoned in 1478 because lorenzo was like “if he’s a pazzi he’s a traitor” and sent a whole bunch of them to jail. in 1480, according to italian wikipedia, beatrice tried to break her husband out of jail but she was caught and imprisoned herself. giovanni died in prison a year later and idk what happened to beatrice, but the other pazzi men who’d been imprisoned were eventually released and sentenced to exile instead, so i choose to hope that she was released along with them

tldr: the entire pazzi family was so ride or die for each other and i love it

[vikingsarememes]

His True Wife

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Main Characters: Hvitserk Ragnarsson, Reader.

Characters Mentioned: Amma, Ubbe, Ivar, Original characters

Summary: you finally found your friend, but you didn’t like what you saw, it was time for you to take things into your own hands.

Word Count:   1850

A/N: none.

warnings: typical addiction and hallucination stuff

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“Hvitserk please, there’s someone who wishes to meet you” Amma pleaded, knocking harder on the door, Hvitserk finally opened the door, hiding most of his face and body, he looked at you as if he just saw a ghost “no! You are dead!” he shouted pointing at you, fear in his eyes “what?” you frowned and looked at Amma, waiting for an explanation “he’s sick, he sees ghosts sometimes, he thinks you are one of them” the man slammed the door shut.

Seeing him like this made your heartache, made you want to scream “what happened to him?” you demanded, trying your best not to fall into tears “Ivar happened my lady, he… he banished him then burned his wife alive, Thora, he keeps calling her name, he sees them everywhere” she said with sympathy, you took a deep breath, trying not to vomit, Ivar would never do that to her, or would he? Now that you look back, the man’s changed, he was driven to madness by that snake.

You knocked violently on the door “Hvitserk open the door, please, let me talk to you! Let me see you! I thought you were gone I will not leave before talking to you” you said determined, and you kept knocking until Hvitserk opened the door again, he screamed at you, you looked at him, so calm, then you screamed back at him, you pushed your way inside of his cabin, dark, with no fire to keep him warm, only one candle was lit, you saw the roof leaking a little, you kept looking around, trying to gather enough courage to take a good look at your friend.

“I will let you two talk, you know where you can find me if you need me,” she said mostly to you, Hvitserk stood in the middle of the room, dazzled, yet his head hanged so low, Hvitserk was a tall man, who stood with pride but now, he seemed ever so small, like a child, his eyes were red, his golden hair turned dark of dirt, you walked closer to him, he didn’t dare to look at you “Hvitserk, for Odin’s sake look at me!” you pleaded, cupping his face with both of your hands “I’m not supposed to… Ivar killed you… he went to your farm before heading away… please be gone, I’m begging you, I have enough ghosts of my own” his tears started to fall, yours as well.

You took him in an embrace, hoping it would be enough proof, “tell me, would a dead person hug?” you whispered softly, Hvitserk didn’t hug you back, Hvitserk used to visit your farm just to hug you, and now, he can’t bring himself to wrap his shaking arms around your body and hug you “Hvitserk what happened to you?” you asked taking another look at your long lost friend.

“I see her everywhere, my wife, Thora, remember her? She said she’d leave me alone if I avenge her death, I drink to make her go away, she never does! She’s everywhere! Her face is burnt! Her touch feels like death, she wants to kill me Y/N, she wants blood! And Ivar… he’s everywhere, he’s mocking me, he’s torturing me!” he explained, looking at empty spaces in the room, trembling, shaking, you held him, knowing if you let go of him he’d fall.

“Damn you Ragnarssons” you mumbled and caressed his hair, feeling the grease on the palm of your hand “Hvitserk are you staying here alone?” you asked, already made up your mind about what to do next “Amma visits sometimes” he replied, “Ubbe?”, “he wants nothing to do with me… I’m disgrace, he’s ashamed of me, and I do not blame him, I try to make him proud, but I fail, just like I failed Thora” he started sobbing, you held him close, waited for him to calm down, cursed Ubbe for not looking after his brother, for letting him go this mad.

“Would you like to come with me? Back to the farm… away from everyone and everything” you suggested, but mostly, you informed “I… I must stay here, I need ale, and mushroom, I need to forget” you took a deep breath “you need to recover, nothing bad ever happens in the farm” 

“Elizabeth, Trys, please, gather Hvitserk’s belongings, we will take him with us” you roared, your two slaves joined in, picking up his clothes, they put them in a basket, Hvitserk didn’t protest, he simply stood, shaking and looking down at his feet “please Hvitserk, you love my farm, you love playing with the goats, I have so many now. Some are babies, don’t you want to play with them again? I have sheep too, and Trys here, she cooks well, she can prepare all of your favorite food, chicken, and bread, what do you say white shirt? Would you come and stay with me instead? Allow me to look after you” 

You waited patiently, your maidens already took everything that seemed to be useful and placed it in the cart, Hvitserk eventually nodded, a shy nod but you’ll accept it “you won’t regret it, I promise” you grinned and hugged him, leading him to the cart, you made sure he sat well and safe, you sat next to him in the back, afraid he might fall if you weren’t there to hold him “should we inform king Ubbe, my lady?” Elizabeth asked “send him a word, let’s get going now” 

The ride was peaceful if it wasn’t for Hvitserk screaming every now and then, and everyone giving you weird looks the minute you stepped down with his hand in yours “well, don’t just stand there! Help the poor women! Trys would you prepare something for Hvitserk to eat? Lorenzo, would you be a dear and prepare him a bath, wash what needs to be washed! Come on! I know it’s barely morning but today is exceptional!” You led the way inside, where Thoman was waiting for your return “my lady” he said respectfully “you remember Hvitserk” you reintroduced “how can I forget the man who rescued me from being sacrificed” he took few steps closer to Hvitserk who clang to your arm like a child would when he’s scared.

“I take it your visit to Kattegat was rather fruitful,” he said sneeringly, you rolled your eyes, even though Thoman’s a mere slave, he had became a good friend of yours in the few months that had passed  “Ubbe threatened me” you exclaimed, holding Hvitserk closer “I hope you answered him wisely, we need no enemies” you shrugged “I reminded him of my role in this kingdom, the provider” it only took few minutes for Lorenzo to come “my lady, the tub is filled and ready to be used” he informed, you nodded “Hvitserk dear, would you be kind and go with Lorenzo? He’ll help you wash” you told him ever so nicely, he shook his head no violently “Hvitserk please, you must clean or else you’ll get sick” you pleaded, but it only made him shake even more “would it be better if I’m the one who helps you instead?” 

The three of you waited for him to decide, and when he finally did, he did it with a simple nod, funny how Hvitserk was suddenly quiet, you’d beg him to stop talking before, he’d joke with the slaves, play with the animals, this place was his happy place yet he can’t seem to stand being in a room with anyone but you “alright then” you smiled a little and led the way to where the tub was, in a separated room, warmer room, Hvitserk eyed the slaves and you knew it must’ve been uncomfortable for him, you knew because you felt your arm being ripped off as one of them tried to help him undress “leave us” you requested, they obeyed.

You stood in front of Hvitserk, and lifted his head up a little “it’s alright, you’re safe with me, I won’t let anyone hurt you I promise” you assured him, taking off his clothes, piece by piece, he seemed rather numb, as sad as you are as glad as you are, you wanted him to remain this calm until you’re done cleaning him, you helped him into the tub which is filled with warm water, he sat down and hugged his legs “things changed, I have ten slaves now, you already met a few, they’re all nice and they teach me about their way, this they call a tub, makes washing easier, it has wheels to be dragged from that door, the water is used several ways, do you like it?” You asked as you leaned down and picked a piece of clothes, washing the dirt from his hair, from his face, you still didn’t get any comment from him.

Next, you cleaned his body, the best you could since he’s hugging himself, you convinced him to let loose of his legs eventually and cleaned that too, blushing when you came across his private area “I need my mushrooms, did you get them to bring some?” He finally asked while you were drying him off, he looked better than earlier now that he’s clean, more like the Hvitserk you once knew “they couldn’t find any, I’ll ask them to buy you some when they visit the town next time” you lied, the truth is, you were cutting him off, whether he liked it or not, but he doesn’t need to know that. 

You led the naked man back to the main room, where the women started blushing and the men looked away, Lorenzo stood there with clean clothes in his hands, you helped Hvitserk to put them on, combed his hair and sent him to sit next to the fireplace while you discussed few things with Thoman.

“Ubbe has his eyes on my land, I warned him I’d rather kill everyone in this farm and burn it before handing it to him, but Ubbe wouldn’t give up easily no, Thoman we need to work our defenses” you whispered to the older man, who had few white strikes on his brownish hair “I see that. I convinced the Thoranssons to sell us part of their land, expanding as we agreed, to plant more seeds and raise animals, also build an archery” he informed you nodded “I don’t mean to be rude but why did you bring him? He’s no good for us, he’s mad” he asked as he glanced at your warrior who was drying by the fire “two reasons Thoman, first one is because he’s my friend and he needs help, he helped us enough back in the day don’t you remember? It’s time we help him back, and second, Ubbe might hate me but he loves his brothers, he gave away his life for them, he wouldn’t hurt us once he knows Hvitserk is here” you replied, then glanced at him, curling to himself “I take it as the prince has no idea of where his brother is staying?” You nodded.

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Tags: (let me know if you want to be tagged for this story) @youbloodymadgenius​ @lol-haha-joke​ @i-am-a-teenage-dirtbaggg​ @moonlightsspirit​ @heavenly1927​ @supernaturalvikingwhore @fuck-i-cant-find-a-name

Images source: stolen from google images.

[izabellagifs]

Bon apple tea! I’m Izabella and I am hoping to write for my two kids Emilia and Julian. I’m so excited to get back in FTW cause its a properly bangin rp. Feel free to message me here or on discord (I can send you my user) to plot! (:

Emilia Ceren King | Twenty-Three | Ivory Syndicate’s Heiress & Forensic Lab Tech

The Syndicate’s daughter, Emilia was born into one of the most infamous crime families New York had known. However, in a rare stroke of heart, Marco and Milena decided to keep their daughter out of the family trade. Put in place was the golden Ivory rule: never let Emilia know about the business. Let at least one King live their life without blood-stained hands...

Emilia was admitted into McGill University's biochemistry major and was able to live quietly in Montreal up until her senior year when Milena King arrived.  Barely making it out of a car crash with her life, the Ivory Syndicate’s secret was getting harder and harder to contain- imploding in on itself with Milena’s execution-style murder.

In a short week, Emilia had lost her mother and learned that her entire life was a lie, only to be told that Montreal wasn’t safe for her anymore. Dazed and angry, that once sweet girl began to slip as she jumped from safehouse to safehouse. It didn’t take long for Emilia to lose herself completely in grief, packing her bags and disappearing into the middle of the night. 

Emilia landed in Turkey with nothing but rage and her mother’s life insurance, doing all that she could to forget her old life. However six months into her stay, a broadcast appeared celebrating the one year anniversary of Milena’s death. Realizing that she couldn’t ever shed who she was, Emilia returns to Montreal tougher and ready to swim with the sharks.

TDLR: Nice woman is lied to and pushed to her limit. The same woman returns after a year with skin like steel, sharp teeth and a will to avenge her mother. What could go wrong!

Julian Alexandre Pistris | Twenty-Nine | Vittori & Pistris Family Rep

Born as the second son, Julian continuously tried to prove himself and garner the respect of his father though that never worked. Instead, his older brother was the golden boy of the family. Though that kind of competition strained his relationship with Michael, Jules was still extremely close to his brother. It was only at his side that he felt like he belonged in the Pistris family... though it wasn’t enough.

Exhausted of trying to keep up with his father’s expectations, Julian realized that he would never be good enough.. and that absolutely ate away at him. His mental state declined, he turned to drugs and alcohol for a quick rush. Years of falling down the rabbit hole groomed a man with a perchance for violence and sadism. 

When he finally came up for air from his binges, Julian created a mastermind plan to get back at his father: he would take away what he cared about most- Michael Pistris. Shaky hands pulled the trigger on his older brother, trying to convince himself that he was unavoidable collateral if Julian ever wanted to be someone important. As Michael laid dying in his hands, his final string of humanity, Julian became the sole empire to the Pistris fortune.

He fell in step with the Vittori rather easily, a mad dog always doing the dirty work that people never seemed to want. He was more than willing to leave loved ones for dead, to betray and to kill. During the war, it was Julian’s gun that killed the infamous Milena King.

The year since the Ivory bitch's death has tested Julian’s loyalty, and he’s beginning to wonder if the Vittori are strong enough to win this war. With Lorenzo lying in a coma, Julian is looking for other options in case the Vittori empire collapses in on itself... and how convenient that the Vargas have just settled in town. 

TDLR: Daddy issues caused a boy to become a psychopath who killed his own brother for power. Now that same psychopath might do more psychopath things. Fun!

[blacknight1230]

Rooftop Chase

Ezio Auditore Imagine

*Takes place during Assassin’s Creed 2* 

Ezio’s POV:

High above the celebrations, I sat on the tiled roof of a house in Firenze (Florence). It was nostalgic to be in my birth place again after my father’s and brothers’ wrongful deaths. But I had to be here, as I was tasked with killing a Templar official, one who was part of my family’s murder. My target was currently throwing a lavish part in the streets. The crowd allowed me easy coverage to sneak up to him and be able to get away without being detected after the deed is done. 

I watched on as a couple of courtesans fluttered around the man. The guards were able to be lured away while one courtesan stayed with the Templar. She led him into the crowd to dance as I quietly made my way to the streets. I effortlessly moved through the crowd and was just about to reach where the dancing couples were, when a woman screamed. I saw my target fall to the floor, blood pooling around him. In the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow moving towards the rooftops. 

I quickly climbed onto the rooftops and sprinted after the shadowed figure. The person lept from roof to roof, gracefully landing on their feet and never stumbling or stopping. “Signor, wait!” I called out. The figure showed no notification that they heard me and continued to run away. Tired of this useless chasing, I took a shortcut. I turned and jumped towards a flower pot, using it to swing onto another rooftop. From there I followed alongside the hooded figure. They eventually stopped when we were both on the rooftop of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. I stopped a few feet short behind the figure, who stood near the edge. There wasn’t a close enough roof to jump to and the height was too big for you to jump to the street below, so the figure was trapped. “There is nowhere to go, amico,” I said. 

The figure finally turned around, showing me the person’s identity. It was the courtesan that danced with the Templar! Her (e/c) eyes were rimmed with eyeshadow, her lips a bright red, and her (h/c) locks piled into an updo hairstyle. She was wearing a (f/c) dress that hung on her shoulders and therefore showed a bit of cleavage. The corset pushing her breasts up and showed the curves of her waist and hips. The full skirt was cut off at her ankles, it having no slits in it but was composed of two layers, the under laying being a light (f/c) color. Bands around her arms had flowing white fabric drape over her arms, the slit through the middle making it easier for her use her hands. All in all, she dressed a little more modest than the other courtesans, who practically showed you their underwear with their short slitted skirts. 

The woman looked at me with cold eyes and pulled out a dagger that was strapped to her thigh. “Get any closer, bastardo, and you’ll lose an eye!” she threatened. I raised my hands up in defense, trying to get through to the donna that I mean no harm. “Easy, signora,” I said. “I won’t hurt you. Lo prometto.” “How do I know you won’t just had me over to the guardie del cazzo?” the courtesan said, pointing her danger at me. “Because I wanted that man dead too. You just beat me to it,” I said, smirking at the signora. She didn’t lower her dagger until she saw the insignia of the Assassin’s Brotherhood on my belt. 

“Assassino,” she said breathlessly. “Sí, how do you know of the Order?” I asked. “My father was an assassino when he was young. Once he met my mother, he left that life. But that didn’t matter to the bastardo that murdered him,” the signora explained. “The Templar,” I said, realizing the reason for her killing my intended target. “The cozzo make up a false crime that my father ‘commited’ and hung his mutilated body in front of the Piazza della Signoria as punishment,” she explained, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. “Mio padre e fratelli were hanged there, too. I joined the Assassin’s Brotherhood to avenge them,” I told the courtesan. Said woman, lowered her guard and sheathed her dagger. “Mia scuse, signor. My name is (y/n) (l/n),” she introduced herself. “Ezio Auditore,” I replied, bowing to her. 

“I say, mia belleza, I’m quite impressed by your skills. It’s as if you were one of my fellow assassini fratelli e sorelli,” I complimented the young woman. “Grazie, Signore Auditore. Mio padre taught me how to everything he knew. He had his suspicions that his life as an assassin would catch up to him, despite no longer being part of that life,” (y/n) said, a faint blush on her cheeks. I felt my heart flutter at the sight, which shocked me. The last time I felt something like this was with Cristina, and when pulling the heartstrings of countless other women in my lifetime, I had never taken my flirting with them seriously. I am a womanizer; I planned on staying that way without my amore Cristina at my side. 

“Say, bella, how would you like it if I were to make a deal with you?” I said, an idea popping into my head. “A deal? What do you have in mind, Signore Auditore.” “I was thinking that maybe you can join the Brotherhood. Your skills can help the Assassins and their fight against the Templar Order,” I told the young woman, hoping she would agree to the terms. “Become an assassina? Oh, why the hell not. Thank you, Signore Auditore, for this opportunity. Now I can do some good with the skills I have,” (y/n) said cheerfully. “Per favore, call me Ezio, bella,” I flirted. 

The two of us were unnoticeably close to each other, to the point that if we moved any closer, we would be chest to chest. I couldn’t help but want to kiss her cherry stained lips and have her in my arms. It might have been her revealing outfit or that the fact that I found her very attractive visually, but I could tell it was something more. I knew she was like no other woman, her skills as an assassin only piece of the puzzle. “Ezio,” (y/n) said softly, gently laying her delicate hands on my armored chest. “Shh, bella, you’ll ruin the moment,” I whispered huskily. I leaned in, (y/n) meeting me halfway, our lips meeting in a gentle and soft kiss. 

I could feel a spark from the kiss, seeming to give me the momentum to add more passion into it. One of my hands came to cup (y/n)’s face, my other one gripping onto her hip. The (h/c) haired girl wrapped her arms my neck, fingers running through my dark locks and causing my white hood to fall back. Our were so close to each other, with my armor clad one practically enveloped the young beautiful woman. I was pretty sure we would have gone even further, if it weren’t for a guard noticing us. 

“What are you doing? Imbecille!” a rooftop guard shouted from several feet away on the Basilica. “Get down, or I'll throw you down!” (y/n) and I quickly broke away, hurryingly climbing down the building before the guard could shoot at us or reach us. Despite the dress, I saw (y/n) effortlessly climb down several stories of the Bascilica, before leaping to the ground and rolling onto her feet, running into an alley way out of the sight of any guards. I followed her, just a step behind her, hearing several guards gather to look for me and the signora. 

As I rounded the corner into the alley way, I was grabbed by the front of my robes and was pulled towards the disguised girl, her lips hastily meeting mine. I wrapped my arms around her waist, deepening the kiss, just as a pack of guards ran past us, giving no mind to another couple showing affection away from prying eyes. Once the coast was clear, we separated, sucking in a much needed breath, our eyes locked on each other. (Y/n) was the first to break out into giggles, which I soon broke into, too, because of its contagiousness. 

“Leave it to the guards to ruin the moment,” I chuckled, hands trailing along the bottom of (y/n)’s spine. (y/n) giggled and pecked me on my lips. “Come on, Ezio, I think it’s time to go anyways. Care to show me where you and the other assassinos do their dirty work?” “If you mean the Brotherhood’s headquarters, then yes, I would love to show you, mio amore,” I said, taking her hand in mine, leading us out of the alley way. “You’ll love Monteriggioni and the Villa Auditore. Not only is it the Assassin’s place of operations, but it is the Auditore’s ancestral home,” I told the female assassin. “I look forward to it then, Ezio. Let’s go before the damn guards catch onto us,” (y/n) replied, as we walked arm in arm through the crowd of celebrating citizens. 

I couldn’t help but smirk as she confidently strolled with me towards the city gates, looking so regal and majestic. After Cristin’s death, something withered in me. But this woman has reignited the snuffed out flame that once lit up my heart, I thought to myself as I watched (y/n), in all her natural beauty and glory. Though she will never replace my previous love, I know with her I can move on. And so we went on our merry way, as two assassins towards much brighter future. 

THE END

[kickassfu]

What do you think about this?

She looked like a lost puppy.

Had it been under difference circumstances, a different girl, he’d been utterly indifferent. However, that was not the case. He knew how much he blonde meant for his brother.

Maybe it was the spite that made him turn back.

Or maybe it was pity, trying to persuade her to avoid the same mistake he made.

“Are you seriously going to go back to them?” he chastised.

She looked up, alarmed.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he muttered. He had no qualm against her, not anymore. She didn’t cause his death and perhaps she learned her lesson, seeing as she perished by the same hand who had did him in, too. The very one she adamantly defended. Maybe she’d finally learn her loyalty earned her nothing. Although, the trait did earn some admiration from him.

“Don’t do it. Don’t go back.” he advised coldly. “They’ll only take advantage of you again. They destroyed you once. They’ll do it again.”

She didn’t bother rebutting.  She simply looked down in her lap and, had he forced her to look up, was certain an expression of dismay hid under her blonde locks.

“Where should I go?” She whimpered.

Enzo had tried to persuade her to leave, too, but she couldn’t fathom the thought of parting from her mom. She had hoped she survived. She borrowed a cell phone to call the hospital. It was only after a heart wrenching pause from the nurse did the news break her. She didn’t survive. Elena successfully killed the last remaining Forbes.

She should be angry. She should turn back, into town, and kill Elena, but she couldn’t muster the energy. The grief of losing her mother numbed any other sensation. It would be for nothing – the brothers had evacuated Elena just as soon as the backstabbing bitch plunged the stake into Caroline’s heart.

“Niklaus will likely avenge you,” Kol answered her thoughts. “How pitiful, when I die, he lets my murderers walk free, but for his blonde infatuation, he’ll likely reign blood on the miserably town.”

“I won’t care,” Caroline said dully. “I was so worried about my mother being hurt in the crossfire, but she’s gone now. Bonnie can hold her own. Matt… if he’s smart, he’ll finally pick up and leave. If not, that’s on him.”

“I’m sure my sister will come to his defense,” Kol remarked bitterly. “As for where to, I’d recommend Greece. It’s lovely this time of year.”

“Where are you going?” She curiously asked but not too loudly.

“Edinburgh. I know a couple of witches that owe me favors. I’ll be damned if Nik shuts me in a box for another century.” He eyes narrowed into slits. “It’s best he does not know of our resurrection. Use this opportunity to live a little, sweets. Should you breathe a word of me to him, I’ll make this second chance of yours very short.”

“Don’t worry,” she mumbled, still looking down into her lap. “I don’t care to see him. He’s done something I don’t think I’ll get past.”

“Ah, that little wolf girl, I presume. He’s a bit of a hypocrite. I figured you’d learn that soon enough if you got to live that long. Don’t waste your breath on him. He’s only good for disappointment. Try that Lorenzo bloke. He seems to be a much better alternative.”

“He’s long gone,” Caroline sniffled. “He’s going to London.”

“Then go to London,” Kol advised.

“I don’t even have a passport,” Caroline stammered.

“For Fuck’s sake,” Kol growled. He stomped towards Caroline and pulled her off the bus bench. She tried to wrench her arm free, but he was significantly stronger. “Fine, I’ll get you there.”

“Why are you so insistent?” Caroline protested as he pulled her down the short flight of steps and onto the sidewalk. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because,” Kol growled. Why was he? He did not know exactly. Why would he even tell her? Damn her eyes. They all but pleaded for answers and if he was going to endure the trip with her, might as well supply her some answers. “Because I was like you and if I learned anything, might as well try to save someone else from making the same mistakes. Now let me do my one good deed for the century and stop pestering me about frivolous stuff.”

“…Okay,” she submitted. They fell into step with one another and into a heavy silence.

“Thank you,” she broke it after a while.

“You’re welcome,” came out awkwardly. He wasn’t used to this kind of exchange. He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced to the blonde.

She was very pretty. He remarked once to Nik she was tasty little thing. Would it been better if he ate Caroline, if he was trying to rub it in Nik’s face? Surely, she’d taste divine, given she smelled like vanilla and strawberries. Quite the tantalizing combination. While pretty, Caroline wasn’t Kol’s type. He preferred brunettes – witchy brunettes with wit, power, and knowledge.

What about Caroline had enticed Nik to forgo everything?

Stupid question. He knew the answer immediately after he pondered the possibilities. It was her unwavering loyalty – the one thing Nik felt he never experienced. Not from his family, his allies, but to earn loyalty, he’d have to give it, and he did no such thing. Perhaps it’s best Caroline steer away from that kind of deal – she’d end up like the rest of them, bitter and short-handed.

If she lived a life Nik had promised her – but without the aid of his pesky brother… That’d be a sufficient insult to give Kol some solstice. Hell, if Nik believed his beloved Caroline was deceased was an even better alternative and then perhaps that meddlesome doppelganger and her brotherly suitors will finally earn their duly comeuppance.

Caroline could be of some benefit after all.

“Have you been out of this damned town at all?” He asked.

“Just Atlanta, to visit my dad. He’s dead, too.”

She was officially an orphan. That should dawn heavy on her, but she still feels numb. The cold of night doesn’t even bother her.

“You have a world of possibilities, Caroline. You have the advantage of being dead – no one will be looking for you. You have no ties left to ground you. You’re a vampire with endless skills.”

“I don’t know any languages.” Caroline murmured.

“They come quick, trust me,” Kol grinned. “If you’re as brilliant as my brother claims you are, being bilingual will come naturally to you.”

“Uh, thanks,” Caroline replied but nonetheless brought a smile to her face. She’d have to buy (or compel) a translation book abroad somewhere.

“Network,” Kol suggests.

“I thought being dead was an advantage – you know, no ties,” Caroline furrowed her brows together.

“Adopt a new name, something, I don’t know, but it’ll help you to network. That way if you get in trouble, you have a back-up. Somewhere to go, someone who can conjure a spell. Surely that’s well within your capabilities.” Kol clarified.

She nodded. “Audrey,” she announced.

“What?” Kol cut in.

“Aubrey, as in Audrey Hepburn. That’ll be my alias.”

She was quick. She had a strong chance of surviving, Kol surmised pleasantly.

“I have a friend who’s good at forging papers. Considering it my gift.”

“I thought this was your only good deed of the century,” she remarked. She doesn’t push it by questioning whether this person was really a ‘friend’ or an unfortunate soul who was subject to Kol’s mercy.

Regardless, the air was significantly a lot lighter.

“Don’t like a gift horse in the mouth, sweets,” Kol chastised playfully. “You could be something – do many things – and I’d like to make sure you have the necessary tools.”

“I’m not your progeny,” she combats but realizes too late what her words imply. Their steps pause.

“No, you’re not,” he affirms. His glare is cold. She shivers but it’s not the wind that has her bones rattling. “I’d like you to survive, Caroline.  First bit of advice? Learn who you’re talking to. Nik may allow your smart comments, but I won’t. Had this been any other scenario, you’d be back on the other side. Read your audience before you say something stupid. Don’t make assumptions and act in accordance. That’ll get you killed. I know you’re smart, sweets. You can’t afford to be stupid.”

She nodded slowly, suddenly aware who her companion was – and how lucky she was he wasn’t inclined to kill her in the moment when it’d be fairly easy for him.

“Good, you’re learning. Come on, we don’t have time to dally.”

They resumed walking.

“Any other advice?” She asked.

“Don’t get attached. You’ll be moving a lot. Enjoy the wanderlust but don’t situate yourself in one place for too long. People will notice and that’ll get you in trouble if you’re on someone’s radar. Despite my reputation, I am careful of what I leave behind when I’m on my own. I can count on my brothers to clean up my mess but when I’m avoiding them, as you’ll be doing, you have to be smart about feeding.”

“I don’t feed on people,” Caroline quickly interjected. “I’ve been on the receiving end and I can’t bring myself to continue the cycle.”

“How droll,” Kol remarked, “but understandable. However, I don’t think you’ll be seeing that way for long. As your existence continues, you’ll learn to adapt, and certain values will not survive. Try as you will but prepare for changes in the way you think… and feed.”

“Next,” Caroline demanded. The subject was sensitive. Kol shot her a look. “You said time was of the essence,” she remarked. He rolled his eyes.

“Cut old ties. That’s self-explanatory.”

She nodded.

“Scatter your resources. Don’t have it all in one place. When you need to evade someone, or evacuate, you’ll have something already prepared rather than wasting precious time trying to collect what you need. Line up properties under different names, have different accounts, so forth.”

“Next,” she motioned.

“Never meet someone directly. Send an envoy ahead of time to gauge the risk. Reconnaissance is key. The less they know, the better. By the time you realize what you’re up against, they won’t have the advantage of surprise and you can high tail it out of there.”

“Did you give Katherine some personal pointers?” Caroline teased. Kol shook his head.

“Never met her but if you follow her footsteps, aside from getting mixed up with those impotent Salvatore’s, you’ll be in fit shape. Her endurance is impressive. Her choice in men, not so much.”

Caroline had to chuckle at that remark and Kol grinned, happy he had amused her.

“Where are places I should avoid?” Caroline inquired. “Somewhere Klaus, or anyone I should steer clear of, would frequent?”

She was clever. No wonder Nik was intrigued.

“Rural England will not help you. My brother owns many castles and estates. Same can be said about Scotland. Ireland, however, was a heathen state in my time and I doubt much has changed. Should you venture there, you’ll find plenty of havens. However, populated cities like London or Edinburgh will be harder to find people in, and grant you some protection, but don’t bade your time in the crowds. My brother is persistent, and he has many networks.”

“Noted. Any others?”

“Africa is a good place to visit. That’d be my expertise. Languages are very diverse, and the landscape is sprawling. I’d advise you find Africa to be a better alternative than the Americas. My brothers are fluent and have many properties on the coasts. Peru, Spain, Brazil, so forth. However, if you want to taste the culture, the smaller countries like Honduras or Panama are fair bets. Start small and work up.”

“What about Asia?”

“You’d stick out like a sore thumb in Japan. Try China. Not Beijing though.  China has many different dialects and too many cities to count. You have better odds venturing there than the small island. Elijah has profits in the Philippines. I wouldn’t risk going there.  The Middle East is free range for you but be weary in Istanbul. India is another place I’d recommend you venture to if you want something in that part of the world.”

“So, big cities except Beijing. Africa over the Americas. Middle East but avoid Istanbul.”

“Very good,” Kol affirmed.

“So… are we going to walk all the way to the airport or are we going to hitchhike?” Caroline pondered.

“Where’s the nearest one?” Kol scowled. He didn’t think that one through.

“Richmond.” Caroline replied. “That’s about forty minutes away from here by car.”

“Looks like we’re running,” Kol smiled. Caroline only had a moment to grasp before everything became a blur.

BREAK

They eventually hitchhiked. Caroline managed to heal the driver before Kol completely drained him but at least they made it to their destination. She didn’t know how he did it but with stolen passports (and compelling the agent that the adolescent looking vampires fit the description of two sixty-something adults) and a wad of cash Caroline didn’t know Kol had procured, they waited another hour until the next flight to Edinburgh.

“Here,” he forced a couple of hundreds in her hand. “That’s for the train fare. It’ll take you to London.”

“I think you gave me more than enough!” Caroline grumbled in disbelief. She quickly counted the bills and gaped at Kol once she came to a total. “This is too much, Kol! Do you know how much you gave me?” She hushed her tone, aware they weren’t alone. “Seven thousand dollars!”

“That’ll get you a new wardrobe, then,” he shrugged. “Consider it my gift.”

“That’d be your third, counting the fake name and all.”

“Ah, thanks for reminding me. My buddy has is in the works. Audrey Hepburn, right?”

“Wait, actually Audrey Hepburn? Yeah, like that won’t go unnoticed!”

“Why?”

“It’s the name of a famous actress! She’s one of my favorites, which is why I chose Audrey! I didn’t think you’d give me her last name, too.”

“Ah, that explains his reaction,” he smirked. “No need to fret. I’m sure he has other Audrey’s lined up in his collection of identities.”

Caroline groaned and reclined back in defeat.

“Thanks,” she turned to Kol, genuine in her words. She realized the amount in her hand and had almost forgotten to show her appreciation.

“Can you do me a favor in return?” Kol queried.

After all he had done, she felt obligated. “Of course.”

“Live to the fullest. Don’t crawl into Nik’s arms. He’ll drain you. Should you catch wind of him, run like hell in the opposite direction. Don’t exert yourself if it’s not possible but if you have a chance, do give me heads up, too. How does it go? Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?”

“It’s the least I can do,” she assures.

“Thank you,” Kol nods.

“Also,” he adds. Her ears perk. “That Lorenzo bloke seems infatuated with you. Don’t deny yourself some pleasures. He has enough sense to skip town. There’s potential in him. Perhaps pursue some sort of dalliance with him. I don’t see why it would hurt. Could be a decent enough distraction for you or perhaps evolve into more? Take more chances, Caroline.”

“Who knew the fearsome Kol Mikaelson could play cupid?” she teased.

He smirked. “In the matters of pleasure, I do my best.”

“I’m curious,” Caroline spoke. “If you really want to get back at your brother, you could have killed me, or slept with me. Either would have enraged him. Why not go that route?”

“Well,” Kol answered in a hum, “I could have killed you but that wouldn’t have given me much satisfaction. He already thinks you’re dead. That’s good enough for me. I can be merciful once in a while,” he shot her a look. She smiled tightly. “Secondly, while you’re a tasty little thing, I’d rather not deal with the aftermath. The sooner I send you on your way, out of my brother’s reach, the better. Worst case scenario, I can also say I did sleep with you, and knowing him, he’d believe it because he lets his insecurities get the better of him.”

“I should be insulted but who am I to argue?” Caroline grumbled.

“Atta girl,” Kol chipped.

The flight is quiet. She takes the time to sleep. However, nightmares consume her conscience and she wakes up in tears. Her mom is dead. She’s all alone. She has nowhere and everywhere to go. Her friends betrayed her. It’s overwhelming.

“Darling,” Kol interjects quietly. She listens intently.

“I’ve come to terms a long time ago I was expendable to my family. Whenever I became a bother, they’d box me up, and if I escaped their claws, they’d drag me back because they have to be in control. I was excluded to the whole ‘forever and always’ spiel that bonded the rest of them. Finn and I weren’t a part of that and we’d spend the rest of our lives knowing we’ve been cheated.”

“I can tell you’re in denial but from my box, I can see you’re in the same bind. You’re expendable to your friends. You’re bound by nature to help but they are undeserving. You need to be selfish. You’ll be villainized for it but to truly live, you got to break from your bondage and accept that you’re going to be branded a certain way.

As for your parents, they are gone. It’s tough to swallow but there is no remedy for the aches you’ll feel. My parents weren’t saints. I did not mourn them. However, a long, long time ago, I mourned for what could have been. That ship sailed a long time ago and thinking on the impossible will not do you any good. Accept you’re on your own. There is no one behind you and no one waiting for you.”

“Any more wisdom?” She croaks. She’s tired and her face is still red.

He turns to look at her and offers a grim smile. “Live to spite everyone that ever doubted you.”

Wasn’t that her motto? When someone told her she couldn’t do something, she’d prove them wrong? She smiled, appreciating his words.

“Thank you,” she sniffled.

“Don’t disappoint me, darling.”

“I’ll try,” Caroline resigned back into her seat. Her eyes fought for sleep and when she succumbed, she fell into deep blackness until conjured back to living by Kol’s persistent nudging.

“Your adventure awaits, darling.”

---

@adelindschade I am seriously tearing up...like wtf...my boy Kol, always the black sheep of the family, cut off from them all, cut out from their special little bond - alone. Caroline, always the stupid, useless girl in her friends eyes, used and thrown away, betrayed, killed, only loved by the villain of the story, who she shouldn’t love back - just as alone as Kol. And Kol knows this, understands, connects with her in a way he’s always avoided, gives her a chance to live and prosper, with sweet revenge on Klaus as a wonderful cherry on top. I wonder how they’ll meet up throughout the ages, closer than this somewhat cold conversation, friends. Maybe down the line she’ll meet up with Klaus, when she’s really lived and tasted the earth as much as she could, and is ready to deal with him. Anyway...I’m not crying, nope...

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 11 June 2018

Quick Bits:

30 Days of Night #6 concludes this retelling of the original 30 Days of Night story. The art from Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson has been great, but as the series has progressed, I’ve increasingly been wondering what’s the point? While there have been minor differences, this essentially amounts to the same story extended out further. Personally, the decompression doesn’t add a lot for me.

| Published by IDW

A Walk Through Hell #2 continues this weird and creepy horror story, with Garth Ennis, Goran Sudžuka, and Ive Svorcina giving us an ever present sense of dread with this story. It’s heavy. It’s dark. Ennis is dealing with some dark and depressing subject matter through politics, homophobia, and child sex trafficking and that’s just the backstory in the flashbacks. In the present, we get more terror and the appearance of one of Ennis’ favourite recurring story items. Also, the art is gorgeous.

| Published by AfterShock

Analog #3 takes a bit of a detour following up on Oona’s night out and the ramifications of it. I really like how Gerry Duggan and David O’Sullivan are teasing out this story, giving us glimpses into Jack’s character and supporting cast, making us really care about them and their predicaments, even while his job and being snatched by the government continue to simmer.

| Published by Image

Animosity: Evolution #6 begins the next stage in this story, as Adam continues to search down what exactly happened in the death of most of the lex animata. I love the mix of politics and thriller that Marguerite Bennett is throwing at us with this series.

| Published by AfterShock

Astonisher #8 kicks things into high gear as we approach the end of this arc. We get some impressive action sequences from Al Barrionuevo in the second half of this book, as Magnus begins to enact his plan to stop his brother’s nefarious plans and save his girlfriend from the clutches of Dr. Saperstein.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Babyteeth #11 nicely plays with conventions as Sadie trains to enter the hell dimension of the Red Realm to rescue Clark. In a typical action/horror story the hero trains and finds herself ridiculously good at everything, Donny Cates doesn’t play it like that. It’s kind of hilarious. Also, Gerry Brown shows off some impressive hellscapes as we get a little more information on the Red Realm.

| Published by AfterShock

The Ballad of Sang #4 takes an interesting turn as we focus on the Dandies capture of Sang and Lucy trying to talk some sense into the Black-Eyed Betties. This series has been over-the-top violence and fun, this issue is no different.

| Published by Oni Press

Betrothed #4 sees the crap hit the proverbial fan as the betrayal of Kieron and Tamara lies out in the open and everything goes to hell pretty fast. The action from Steve Uy is particularly nice.

| Published by AfterShock

Bloodshot Salvation #10 takes us almost in sync to when the series began, giving us a look at why Magic and Jessie were on the run, and what Ray was doing in 4002. It’s interesting how Jeff Lemire has been using time in this series.

| Published by Valiant

Bloodstrike #0 is an oddity, beginning the “Brutalists” arc that runs through this issue and then the two missing issue numbers from the original ‘90s series, #23 & #24. I’m not exactly the target market for this, as I have no real affinity towards Bloodstrike, but this is still interesting. Michael Fiffe is presenting a kind of origin story here, so you needn’t worry about having read any Bloodstrike before, but what makes it stand out is Fiffe’s approach to the artwork and storytelling. It looks and feels like an indie book out of the ‘80s, the offbeat and highly violent stuff that was out there and it has a nice appeal about it.

| Published by Image

By Night #1 is a fun debut issue, featuring all of the charm and humour that John Allison brings to Giant Days, plus some great art from Christine Larsen and Sarah Stern.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

Coda #2 is every bit as good as the first issue, possibly even better, as Hum finds himself the prisoner of an old wizard with dementia and his doting daughter. I loved Matías Bergara’s art in Cannibal, but the art here, with Michael Doig, is incredible. Bergara makes it look like he was born to draw this kind of weird fantasy.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Damned #10 begins “Daughter’s Danse”, with Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt kicking off Maura’s scheming. It adds another wrinkle to the already complex mess of the series’ crime drama.

| Published by Oni Press

The Dead Hand #3 keeps this thriller chugging along, with a new obstacle in an obstinate MI-6 agent trying to find his missing friend. The missing friend who, last issue, was murdered after stumbling upon the series’ mysterious test city in Russia. Some particularly nice action sequences from Stephen Mooney and Jordie Bellaire this issue, great layouts and use of colour washes.

| Published by Image

Deadpool: Assassin #1 reunites Cullen Bunn with another Deadpool mini-series, this time with some impressive art from Mark Bagley, John Dell, and Edgar Delgado in tow. Bunn writes some good Deadpool.

| Published by Marvel

Death of Love #5 ends this series in an unexpected way. Sure, some people are likely to be angry about it, but when you think about it, and read Justin Jordan’s missive in the backmatter, it makes sense. Dudebro Eros is also pretty funny. Good art from Donal DeLay and Omar Estévez.

| Published by Image

Dejah Thoris #5 is a bittersweet end to this first arc, with Dejah finding Ephysium and the source of the waters of Mars. Amy Chu and Pasquale Qualano are largely playing this as straight-forward adventures and it certainly works as that.

| Published by Dynamite

Domino #3 begins to give us some flashbacks to Neena’s childhood. I’m somewhat reticent when characters who bank on a mysterious past start to have their backstories filled in, but I trust what Gail Simone is doing here.

| Published by Marvel

Dry County #4 goes into the expected territory of an amateur detective’s professional (and personal) life suffering due to obsession with a case. Despite being expected, it’s still highly entertaining.

| Published by Image

Hunt for Wolverine: Adamantium Agenda #2 continues this bunch of New Avengers members search for Wolverine. It’s still one of the groups investigating that makes the most amount of sense, and the picture of what’s going on here comes even more into focus with a couple of other character reveals. Good stuff from Tom Taylor, RB Silva, Adriano di Benedetto, and Guru-eFX.

| Published by Marvel

Kick-Ass #5 shows again how easy it is to get in over your head when doing the wrong thing and addicted to the cheap, “easy” fix. Then everything goes to hell. Definitely like what Mark Millar, John Romita, Jr., and Peter Steigerwald have been doing with this story.

| Published by Image

The Magic Order #1 is an interesting start to this first series borne of Millarworld’s sale to Netflix. The art from Olivier Coipel and Dave Stewart is suitably gorgeous, with some really nice designs for the villain and one of the tricks to take the family off the board.

| Published by Image

Marvel Two-in-One Annual #1 is possibly one of the best things that Chip Zdarsky has written. This is an excellent character study in Doom, wrapped in revelations of bits of Victor’s past, the end to Secret Wars, and more. All with gorgeous art from Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire.

| Published by Marvel

Nancy Drew #1 is a great first issue, presenting the kind of fun and exciting, beautifully illustrated mystery adventure that I’m used to seeing mostly from Boom these days. Kelly Thompson, Jenn St.-Onge, and Triona Farrell pack a lot into the initial salvo, giving us a conclusion to a goat-napping adventure, before propelling us into a personal crisis for Nancy Drew, while delivering a fairly large supporting cast. It’s fun and the art is wonderful.

| Published by Dynamite

New Mutants: Dead Souls #4 has the X-Men of all sorts coming together for Rictor’s funeral. Matthew Rosenberg and Adam Gorham put Magik through the wringer as she tries to deal with the loss and the burdens of leadership. Then the other shoe drops.

| Published by Marvel

Oblivion Song #4 has a lot of quiet moments, allowing for Lorenzo de Felici and Annalisa Leoni to really show off their chops.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Old Man Logan #41 begins another two-parter. I like how Ed Brisson is structuring these arcs, contributing pieces to the larger whole of the elder Logan’s story of his diminished healing factor, while telling discrete, entertaining stories in their own right. Also, some really nice art here from Francesco Manna and Carlos Lopez.

| Published by Marvel

Port of Earth #6 foreshadows something horrible happening at the port, as the introductory interview starts diving further into potential problems with one of the agents, looking for what looks like a target for blame. I like how Zack Kaplan is setting this up, even if the story does move relatively slowly in execution.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Proxima Centauri #1 is some very weird sci-fi. It’s being done by Farel Dalrymple, so it should come as no surprise that there are odd visuals, strange characters, and bizarre occurrences, just as it’s rather entertaining and beautiful to look at.

| Published by Image

The Punisher #226 pivots Frank’s direction a bit to attacking Hydra. Matthew Rosenberg is layering a lot of humour into the script and it’s working very well.

| Published by Marvel

Quicksilver: No Surrender #2 continues what is an excellent character study of Quicksilver. I would argue that Pietro’s characterization of himself is a little too favourable, but don’t we always cast ourselves in a better light than we often are? Great work from Saladin Ahmed, Eric Nguyen, Rico Renzi, and Chris Brunner.

| Published by Marvel

Stellar #1 sees the return of another creation from Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri’s turn at Top Cow’s Pilot Season back in 2009/2010 after Demonic in 2016. You don’t need to have read the original one-shot to follow this. Joe Keatinge and Bret Blevins handle the creative and this is, well...stellar. Blevins’ artwork is amazing, with some truly breathtaking sci-fi imagery. This is a damn fine looking comic. The story of a reticent soldier trying to make amends for her horrible past is a common one, but it’s entertaining. Especially when you add the mix of possible unreliable memory and fuzzy reality. This looks like another winner for Skybound.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Thor #1 begins the third act in Jason Aaron’s epic run, turning towards the War of the Realms and the previously Unworthy Thor reclaiming his name and mantle. The various Thor series have been blessed with god-tier artists from Esad Ribić through Russell Dauterman, and this book continues that traditional with Mike del Mundo handling the main story and Christian Ward the back-up. Even if the story wasn’t exciting, with an added amount of humour that’s been missing for a bit as the last volume took a serious turn, the art alone would be worth the price of admission.

| Published by Marvel

Tomb Raider: Inferno #1 follows on from the story in the Survivor’s Crusade mini, with Lara travelling to Antarctica to discover the secret that Trinity is willing to kill to protect there. It’s nice to see Phillip Sevy doing more Tomb Raider artwork. If you like the games since the 2013 reboot, I largely consider these comics a must. 

| Published by Dark Horse

Transformers: Lost Light #18 continues this arc that, like its counterpart in Optimus Prime, is bringing all the chickens home to roost.

| Published by IDW

Venom #2 is just as excellent as the first issue, with Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, and Frank Martin building upon Eddie Brock’s legacy and adding new lore to the history of the symbiotes. Stegman is probably doing the best art of his career here, this book looks incredible.

| Published by Marvel

The Weatherman #1 is an interesting debut, bringing to mind to me some of the weird, offbeat, and humorous sci-fi like The Fifth Element. Jody LeHeup and Nathan Fox start this series off straight enough, with a future Mars mourning the loss of Earth, seemingly transfixed only by the “extreme” antics of the titular weatherman. It’s a weird premise, sure, but it’s entertaining, and gets even more so when the other shoe drops. Some really great art from Fox and Dave Stewart.

| Published by Image

Witchblade #6 sees Alex assemble her Scooby Gang to help investigate the kidnapping of her guardian demon, Asher. Caitlin Kittredge is doing a great job of building up the supporting cast, as well as giving us glimpses into Alex’s past. This continues to be one of Top Cow’s best looking books, with phenomenal art from Roberta Ingranata and Bryan Valenza.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Xena: Warrior Princess #5 brings the first arc of this series to a conclusion. The art from Vicente Cifuentes and Triona Farrell has been a real high point for the book and this issue is no different.

| Published by Dynamite

X-Men Blue #29 jumps ahead a bit, taking us past the original five’s return to Earth and the events of Venomized, to spotlight a transformed Jimmy Hudson on the run from the team. It’s a good follow-up to the Venom event so far with some very nice art from Nathan Stockman and Matt Milla.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Accell #11, Betty & Veronica: Vixens #7, Copperhead #19, DuckTales #9, Exiles #4, The Fix #12, Invader Zim #31, Kaijumax: Season 4 #1, Mage: The Hero Denied #9, Marvel Rising: Alpha #1, Mech Cadet Yu #9, Monstress #17, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #305, Resident Alien: An Alien in New York #3, Rose #12, SHIELD #6, Spider-Man vs. Deadpool #34, Star Wars: Darth Vader #17, Star Wars: Thrawn #5, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #33, World of Tanks: Citadel #2

Recommended Collections: Babyteeth - Volume 2, The Beauty - Volume 4, Dakota North: Design for Dying, Defenders - Volume 2: Kingpins of New York, Invincible Iron Man - Volume 2: Choices, Rumble - Volume 4: Soul Without Pity, Slots - Volume 1

d. emerson eddy thinks it’s probably a bad idea to eat deep fried mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce at one in the morning, but is doing it anyway. Clearly, he’s a demented rebel just asking for a heart attack.

[teecupangel]

idk but omg ive been brainrotting over an asoiaf/game of thrones and ac crossover. like assassins striking fear in the hearts of the targaryen dynasty ever since maegor the cruel was found dead alone on the throne. i feel like things wouldve been better if someone just thought to unalive mad king aerys. but would that mean so many terrible lords suddenly getting assassinated and their decendants peer pressured to be decent rulers unless they meet the same fate dfkgjhgfj

Welp, it seems the tags are not working for me because I just spent 15ish minutes trying to find these. XD

Anyway…

Here’s a “Desmond sorta adopts Dany and Vis” idea.

Here’s a “Desmond turns into a White Dragon during HOTD” idea and the continuation.

So, for this one, we’re going for the Brotherhood exists in the ‘verse of asoiaf, right? In that scenario, we can make the Brotherhood become a more ‘honorable’ off-shoot of Faceless Men. We’ll probably need to change the backgrounds of the characters but this would be set as the main characters of AC doing what they do best (and I kinda like the idea that Ezio is the son of a minor house that got fucked over by the Lannisters during the war of the five kings).

I kinda like the idea of Altaïr being the one to kill King Aerys and becoming the mentor of Ezio, Desmond and Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Maybe their backstory would be that the Mad King managed to purge most of the Assassins and Altaïr was one of the few survivors so killing him had been both to protect Westeros and to avenge the death of his brothers while he was still young.

So this would be more in the lines of a man that’s suddenly thrust into becoming a mentor of men not that much older than him.

As I have written before, Ezio would be the son of a fallen minor house that got trampled on by the Lannister during the start of the War of the Five Kings.

I think Ratonhnhaké:ton can be part of the Green Men. 

While Desmond is a bastard of unknown origins who is actually also a survivor of the purge and found Altaïr after he had killed the Mad King. They were searching for other survivors of their Brotherhood when they saved Ezio and met Ratonhnhaké:ton who told them that he had dreamed of them. 

So, in this situation, their Brotherhood continued the ‘fight’ during the War of the Five Kings but there’s only four of them so they can’t assassinate fast enough to stop all the tragedy that happens.

But… 

The shadows they cast are slowly being heard by those who live.

Those being oppressed see them as hope.

And those who are in power… believe they will see their end soon.

But the longer they lived, the more lives they take, leaving behind a bloody feather as their ‘message’...

The more fear gripped those who remain.

.

Unorganized Notes:

I focused on Westeros because the other asoiaf asks I got were Targayen focused XD

Ezio’s habit of being friendly with nobles/people in power returns and this time he thinks allying with the Starks is a good idea. Thankfully for him, Robb Stark is more honorable than Lorenzo de' Medici. Unfortunately for him, Robb Stark is more honorable than the other lords in Westeros. 

If you want Arya to be an Assassin, I would suggest Ratonhnhaké:ton being the one to find her. Your choice of when he finds her though.

Altaïr does not approve of Ezio becoming close with the Starks, only because the Brotherhood must remain in the shadows. This causes Ezio and Altaïr to butt heads that Desmond has to referee.

Desmond may or may not be a bastard of a high ranking noble. Who knows? 

If you want Haytham to stand against them, may I suggest… Haytham being the lord of House Birch. The rumors are he’s adopted and not a true Birch but no one would say that to his face. Shay is his knight. 

The other Assassins like Arno, Evie and Jacob? Uuummm… orphan children that Desmond sorta kinda adopted while Ratonhnhaké:ton was picking up a half-feral child and Altaïr was busy arguing with Ezio?

They all end up being Altaïr's responsibility XD

[teecupangel]

Before anything, I left the plottwist in the tags but the comments/replies talked about it so I feel like I should add it here as well:

#it’s giovanni #giovanni’s the one who killed uberto #but desmond can’t be sure #his grief and desire for answers and vengeance is messing with his eagle vision #ezio has no idea that his father killed desmond’s father #federico told him desmond saved them and talked his father out of this entire thing #ezio misses desmond #but he also knows it’s better if they don’t see each other anymore #ezio and giovanni are wearing similar robes #too similar that desmond’s vague bleed memories think they’re the same #i don’t know what else to add #uuuhhh #lorenzo is just trying to avenge the death of his brother? #i guess? #no one is absolutely evil in this one #no #desmond won’t be a templar #his hatred for the borgias would not allow that

From @zero-saito

Oof my heart! What if once desmond and his family are settled, he’s getting ready to go find the auditore and find out who did it only for Giovani to show up, maybe offer recompense for breaking his promise? Desmond can chew him out and/or take his life depending. Maybe Giovani offers to care for his family?

Vieri is gonna be an angry shit, desmond will have his hands full , maybe get his brother to help him with their father?

Also, desmond does know where some treasure is hidden he can use

From @lilyrose225writes

Oooof ow my heart :D   Too bad Giovanni feels like he can't just tell Lorenzo no on this one

Because of course--Giovanni/House Auditore owes Desmond/House Alberti for saving him, Federico, and Petruccio.  So like... killing Uberto for that is in poor taste at that point

In a scenario where Giovanni would show up after everything has been done, Desmond wouldn’t believe him. If it was true that Giovanni had been the one to kill his father, Giovanni didn’t have to wait for so long to confess. 

Enough time has passed that Desmond was able to settle everything so his family would be safe and cared for while he’s gone.

Enough time… for one of Giovanni’s son to return to Firenze and tell their father what they had done.

So by trying to confess to what he had done after days of trying to swallow his guilt, Giovanni accidentally made himself less suspicious and pointed the blame on either of his sons. 

Desmond wouldn’t trust his words. Any words of an Auditore now, not when they had gone back on their words.

And he wouldn’t trust the Auditores to take care of his family.

That was why they had gone to Spain in the first place.

While Spain wasn’t the safest place to be, the Spanish Brotherhood was in a strong position at the moment that they would not fall for any of Giovanni Auditore’s bullshit. Giovanni Auditore’s standing in the Brotherhood is already skewered at the moment. The Italian Brotherhood still allies themselves with him even though he had shown time and time again that he was too close to the Medici. The Spanish Brotherhood does not approve of this so it was easy for Desmond to request their aid. To tell them the truth of what had happened between their houses and ask that they help care for his innocent family.

The Spanish Brotherhood agreed to it because they honored Desmond’s honesty and…

Well…

Desmond was definitely not an Assassin. 

No.

His motives were too selfish and would simply sully the Creed but the Spanish Brotherhood gave their blessing and promised if he could bring proof that someone killed his father by the orders of a Medici then…

Well…

Desmond was sure there won’t be a civil war between the Spanish Brotherhood and the Italian Brotherhood.

But this might become the sword that finally cuts the ties that binds the Medici to the Assassins in Italia.

But Desmond…

Desmond didn’t really give a fuck about that.

He wanted answers.

And Giovanni’s insistence that it was him only made him believe that…

One of his sons did it and he was covering for it.

Another Desmond reborn as X, but this one is as Uberto Alberti's kid. Who we don't know anything about but "family" is the reason he betrayed his friend supposedly so I'd be interesting if Desmond could try and avoid it this time around.

According to the transcription of Uberto’s database in ACII:

Now, I found a backdoor into the Templars' database server, I've been combing it for some kind of smoking gun. I found it. Apparently, Uberto's family was evicted by the Medici bank. Uberto's been aching for revenge ever since, and the Templars promised him support. Ezio's father was standing in the way AND Uberto was jealous of his influence over the Florentine government. Two birds with one stone, isn't it? It looks like Uberto used his election to the Signoria as his opportunity to strike.

Apparently, he joined the Templars because the Medici evicted his family.

If he is part of the real House Alberti, there is no mentions of any evictions in wiki nor any mention of an Uberto. The Albertis were allies of the Medici as far as I read.

Returned to Florence, in the 15th century they were first allied to the Medici against the Albizzi. Main members of the period include writer Antonio Alberti, cardinal Alberto di Giovanni Alberti and architect and Renaissance theorist Leon Battista Alberti.

But wiki did say that they “divided into different lines, who owned several houses and towers near the modern Ponte alle Grazie” and “Some of them were admitted in the Venetian nobility late in the century” so maybe Uberto’s family wasn’t one of those few fortunate Albertis to gain nobility.

So, really…

Giovanni died and dragged his two sons with him because of his ties to the Medicis.

And Desmond would point that out.

In this setup, Desmond would probably think of Uberto as a good father as he did stress he did it for his family (although another setup is that Uberto is using the whole “I’m doing it for my family” to hide his greed and thirst for power but that would be a bit boring so we’ll go down the ‘a good man wishing to avenge his family’s misfortunes’ route instead).

So Desmond would want to protect his new family (especially if he has younger siblings). When they get evicted, Desmond understood why Uberto did what he did. Maybe add in the drama of the eviction being all of a sudden or not given any warning before they were evicted during a time when Firenze was having ‘money problems’.

Desmond knew that the Templars would contact Uberto then and tried to stop Uberto from saying yes to the Templars but he’d say that this was their only choice if they wish to protect their family.

(If you really wanna drive in a conundrum, one of Desmond’s siblings or his mother falls ill during this time and the financial support the Templars gave them is what kept them from dying or maybe said mother/sibling was already ill and almost died had it not been for the Templars’ money)

In the end, Desmond tries to leave the Auditores alone but, instead, Ezio found him and started to talk to him. Desmond couldn’t help but form a bond with Ezio anyway, maybe become a close friend who doesn’t really like to be seen with others.

Ezio knows Desmond spend most of his time caring for his ailing sibling/mother, and he remembers Petruccio so he has a soft spot for Desmond.

Anyway…

Uberto still becomes a Templar and Desmond tries to undermine him, first by trying to save the decoded message that Giovanni needed but that failed because Uberto knew that Desmond was trying to stop him so he’s become more ‘suspicious’. He never scolds Desmond though and he understands what his son is doing so he tells Desmond to continue to try and stop him…

“This way… no matter which sides wins, our family will be safe.”

And Desmond realized then and there that Uberto was ready to die if it meant their family would be safe and financially secured.

In the end…

Desmond helped Giovanni, Federico and Petruccio escape by unlocking their cage and telling them that Uberto’s a Templar. Desmond begs Giovanni to not kill Uberto, that he’ll be able to make Uberto understand that they have failed and they’ll leave Firenze, hell, they’ll leave all of Italia, just…

“Please… don’t kill padre.”

Giovanni promises not to kill Uberto if they leave Firenze as soon as possible.

And Desmond is able to persuade Uberto to do just that, telling him that revenge means nothing if it would lead to his death.

.

Now.

The happy ending would be that Desmond and Ezio would see each other and there will be this strain in their friendship because of Uberto’s betrayal that they will slowly get past.

But…

The more angst-filled route would be…

Lorenzo wants all the conspirators of the Pazzi conspiracy to be killed and Uberto was one of them. He orders Giovanni to kill Uberto and Giovanni tried to say no, at first, only to acquiesce once Lorenzo reminded him who he was ‘allies’ with.

Desmond finds an Assassin standing in front of his father’s bleeding corpse and the darkness and his shock made it hard for him to see the Assassin clearly.

All he knows…

… was that the Assassin was wearing Ezio’s robes…

.

.

In this setup, Desmond would be torn between wanting to take vengeance or being the person to cut the noose of revenge that keeps looping and looping around all of them.

His trust in the Auditores would be destroyed and Desmond would want to believe that it wasn’t Ezio, that maybe it was Giovanni or even Federico but a part of him would whisper that it could have been Ezio. Ezio wasn’t there when Desmond begged for his father’s life.

Last time he saw Ezio, he was wearing those robes…

And Desmond can’t…

… will not kill Ezio even if a part of him wished to avenge Uberto’s death.

They had no reason to kill him.

His family had exiled themselves away from Firenze, living as normal farmers of all things.

He…

He needed to know the truth.

And, once he knows it…

That’s when he’ll decide how to end this chain of vengeance.

With blood spilled… or not.