#this is basim positive

[newengland-alligator]

I played through the two newest free Assassin's Creed: Valhalla content today, so spoilers below for AC: Valhalla, The Raven And The Cuckoo and The Last Chapter.

The Raven And The Cuckoo:

This free quest introduces the Hidden One character of Roshan to Eivor. It's a quick little quest where you help Roshan defeat an enemy that she and Eivor share.

I have mixed feelings on this quest. It's stealth based, which I enjoyed. And while I already like Roshan as a character and am excited to see more of her in AC Mirage, I'd rather either her not have shown up in ACV at all, or at least given her a scene or two with Hytham.

This is an Assassin's Creed game that's so bereft of actual assassin's in favor of playing a Viking simulator that is get frustrating when the few Hidden Ones characters you do get, barley have any meaningful scenes together.

Like Roshan was Basim's mentor when he joined the Hidden Ones, and by this time in-game Basim is canonically presumed "dead" in Norway. And Roshan has no dialogue about this? No anger at Eivor or even "wow sorry that happened"? Whatever. It's a minor complaint and honestly, fits in with the emotional trend (and by trend I mean lack of emotion) we were already getting in ACV. Moving on now.

The Last Chapter:

Classic Ubisoft. This is a short, mostly emotionless fetch quest that feels incredibly rushed. It serves as more of an intro to the events occurring in the next game, AC Mirage by setting up William Miles reliving Basim's memories of becoming a Hidden One and realized Sage of Loki. Presumably to convince Miles that he and Basim are on the same side (Which they are...kinda. Basim is loyal to the Creed, but still wants to unite his lost family)?

While I am very happy to get more Basim content, and more Hytham content, that's about the only positive thing I have to say for The Last Chapter.

Like most of ACV, Eivor is confused emotionally and is written to have conflicting characterization to the point where you just have them figured out, than Ubi changes their mind and writes Eivor differently.

By the end of ACV, Eivor is written to finally be at peace with themselves, no longer seeking glory, and has refused to acknowledge their past life as Havi. Fast forward to The Last Chapter, and suddenly Eivor is acting like their scared 20 year old self seeking Havi's knowledge, and not the 40+ Jarl we left them as.

It would have been one thing if Ubi wrote them to be slowly loosing themselves in their past life's memories like Halfdan did, but instead we got...this very lukewarm Eivor deciding to drop their responsibility to go to Vinland and have their past life teach them what a "solar flare is".

I know a lot of people have already shared posts about Darby discussing the choice that Gunnar's wedding was "Eivor's goodbye to the clan" to explain why they don't say goodbye to anyone from Ravensthorpe besides Hytham, and having gone straight from the wedding to this quest yeah I can see it. But it doesn't negate the fact it's been two years, with three DLCs, and yes there should have been a better goodbye scene.

I would have like a scene where Eivor stood in front of the clan and officially steps down, handing the Jarldom to Randvi, then goes on to give private goodbyes to Hytham, Sunniva, Randvi and Gunnar. I actually like the goodbyes with Alfred and Guthrom. Not so much with Harald, it felt a little out of the way.

I am not going to touch on the gender discourse except to say that like the romance system, Ubi wanted to have their cake and eat it to. I personally loved the ability to switch gender whenever I wanted, and I play Eivor as non-binary. But that doesn't mean that yes, Eivor is canonically a woman and marketing-wise was screwed over by Ubi marketing only the "male Eivor".

It was the same with the romance options. Ubi pushed for no canonical romance but did so in a way that left nobody happy. Instead of the organic feel of Kassandra/Alexios free-loving their way through Ancient Greece, we had Randvi who was used as a cheap way to betray Sigurd, and a bunch of other romance options that were... incredibly stale (Hytham should have been the main romance, I say even though I wish we got a scene with Basim like we got with Aspasia).

Anyway, I'll wrap this up before I get more rambley by saying "more meh than disappointed, but not surprised". As much as I enjoy this franchise (ACV was my intro to the series!) Ubisoft is a company rife with with horrible business practices and work environments, and I hope desperately that AC Mirage is not a complete shit show. Sorry ACV, we really could of had something with this game, but Ubi would rather take our money for the bear minimum.

[silicacid]

I want to share Dr. Moath Abu Samra's gfm (#85 on Operation Olive Branch)

as of Sept 3, 2024: $21,761 USD raised of $50,000 goal

the latest update:

Salam everyone, I apologize for the lack of updates over the last several months. I was busy taking the bar exam, so I haven't made time to update. I am still in contact with Dr. Moath Abu Samra almost daily and he is doing as well as could be expected for someone in his position.

Moath and his mother are still in Cairo, Egypt with Basim. Sadly their visas are set to expire and Egypt will not renew them. So, last month, Moath used some of the funds to apply for a visa to the Sultanate of Oman where he has some contacts. It is unclear how long this process could take. At this time, he has sent in the application. I am also doing research to see which American visa would be most efficient for he and his mother to apply for.

In the meantime, his brothers Yousef, Ahmed, and their father are still trapped in Gaza. We are praying everyday for their safety and that they are able to evacuate soon. We have purchased a Nomad eSim for them in the hopes that they can at least stay connected with the rest of their family. If you would like to donate an eSim to their family, please contact me directly through a private message.

Thank you to all for the collective efforts and the continued donations. It is my sincere hope that the rest of Moath's family will be able to evacuate Gaza soon. 11 months of torture is 11 months too much. Thank you again! ❤️

[teecupangel]

Jarlskona’s Mate

An au where Desmond Miles is married off to Eivor Varinsdottir by his father William Miles after he discovered she and her clan were alive again in the modern day. Many do not like the arrangement but see Eivor’s wisdom in agreeing to the arrangement to save an innocent life.

So I was curious to see how you would go about this idea. I know where I want to go but the muse ain't singing right now. The settlement occupants have all their memories from their original lifetime. And they refer to Basim as HIM.

Desmond would have just turned 16 and has that fresh scar.

I mean, you can totally do this in Eivor’s time and make this a flatout political marriage between Eivor under Sigurd’s orders and Desmond, the son of the mentor of what remains of England’s Hidden Ones.

In a modern day setting though, maybe Eivor was living in an isolated community until the Great Purge reached their home. Only a few of them managed to survived and those people are the ones who used to lived in Ravensthrope and that’s the day they start remembering their past lives.

Hytham is the one who suggested they try and find the Hidden Ones because there’s no way the Hidden Ones wouldn’t exist in this time, especially with his theory that Abstergo might be connected to the Order of the Ancient.

They realized that it may be a bit more complicated (or simpler, depending on who they ask) after the attack because they managed to take one alive who spilled the beans that they were attacked because they were connected to the Assassin Brotherhood and that they were Templars. He didn’t even know what the hell the Order of the Ancients is.

Eivor ends up traveling to try and figure more stuff because, if they are connected to the Brotherhood, then there’s a high possibility they would be allies.

This leads her to William Miles who is barely holding it together because the Great Purge is in full swing. Eivor decided to help them because they were better off as allies and Hytham confirmed that there were too many similarities between the Hidden Ones and the Brotherhood for them to be dismissed as a coincidence.

Bill didn’t trust them though since he doesn’t buy into all this Hidden Ones nonsense but an ally was greatly appreciated.

This leads to Eivor teaming up with Bill’s wife and they did not get along at all.

She thinks Eivor is too violent.

Eivor thinks she’s too cold.

Hytham was there to keep the two of them from actually trying to kill one another after every mission.

In the end, they were able to save more than they would have been able to had Eivor and her clan not helped.

An alliance was formed during those darkest of times and the Great Purge died down 3 years after the initial attack.

Everything was still in shambles and, really, the Brotherhood wasn’t in any real position to do anything more than poke at Abstergo.

Eivor’s clan, on the other hand, could turn into a good spec ops team if they were given proper gear and training.

And that’s where a kind of ‘exchange’ happened.

As a promise to help Eivor’s clan with supplies that they could use to fuck Abstergo up, Eivor would be taking on his son as her husband.

Everyone knows that it wasn’t exactly a political marriage or anything.

Desmond Miles was being given as a hostage to show that the Brotherhood wasn’t going to go against their promise.

But the thing is…

Eivor received a letter from Desmond’s mother a day before she was to meet her child groom.

She had been the one to suggest Desmond be given to Eivor because she learned her son was planning to try and escape the Brotherhood.

So he was sent to Ravensthrope to be a hostage…

But Eivor had a feeling this was a compromise his mother made to get him out of the Farm without endangering him.

Well…

She wasn’t exactly thrilled to have a child husband.

She’d talk to him and try to befriend him then go from there.

[atarathegreat]

Scared for Nothing. Hytham AC Valhalla

Joining the vikings was a large transition for Hytham. He had to adapt so he didn't accidently offend someone for fear of losing his head. No matter how much Basim reassured him, Hytham always feared for his life in his sleep.

"Excuse me!"

Hytham jolted out of his cot at the disgruntled voice. He had never heard such anger on the night of a viking feast, but Basim didn't seem the least bit bothered.

"Apologies!" A sweet giggle was followed by a half-naked viking woman falling through the curtain to the little hut. She was shorter than the typical viking Hytham had become used to, but she could be just as dangerous if he wasn't careful. Her laughter woke Basim, who slept on the other side of the hut, and he approached her fluidly, as if he didn't fear her.

Basim chuckled and lifted her as a bear lifts a tree branch, "Up you get, before you catch a cold." The older man was more generous than Hytham seemed to be, carefully cooing at the drunken giggler as he settled her in his cot. "You can't be serious?" Hytham protested quietly, "What if she wakes and kills us?" And all Basim could do was chuckle, "This tiny girl? Why, she can hardly swing an axe." Basim covered her and sat beside the bed, "Get sleep, Hytham. You will feel better in the morning, and we can help her get through Fornburg without being immodest."

Long ago Hytham had learned that Basim would put him in any uncomfortable position, as a form of "training," in the man's words. It was the worst training Hytham had ever been subject to. But he carried the woman through the little village, hidden only by his hood and her covered only in a large fur. "Over there..." She sounded sickly, like she might throw up from all the things she ate and drank the night before, "Svend will...Svend will help..."

Whoever that was. Hytham called through the cloth, flinching back when a big and burly man came through. "She's greatly exposed...said you would help her..." Hytham mumbled, passing the woman over to him. "Idiot girl, your father will have someone's head for this." Svend sighed, taking her inside.

After the initial encounter, Hytham noticed his mentor keeping an eye on the woman at feasts. It wasn't uncommon for Basim to watch out for others, especially women, but he was dragging Hytham to each and every feast to keep an eye on her.

Gods, she was like a flower in the breeze, dancing as if it were her last day to dance. There was a smile that was brighter than a thousand suns upon her face and, before he knew it Hytham was admitting to himself that this strange viking was...attractive. He loved how freely she did her hair, how loud she spoke in the late hours, and how crazy she was to dive naked into the cold Norway waters. Hytham was hooked by the odd occurrences, captivated by her soul.

"Go and talk to her." Basim chuckled; arms crossed as he leaned against the nearest pillar in the longhouse.

"Talk to her? You must be out of your mind!" Hytham turned away from the man, "I am only here because you have made me come. I would much rather be tucked away in the warmth of the furs."

"You prefer a cot to the festivities? How strange. Considering you always have a drink or two." The smirk on Basim's face was enough to drive Hytham crazy. The man thought he knew everything, never mind that he was right, and Hytham truly did enjoy the feast. But this woman...she was different. She wasn't some tankard of ale or horn of mead, no, she was...Gods, she was something.

She was perfect timing in a terrible hunt. Even as Hytham stayed still, Basim's ideals reached her, and she stumbled over. "Come! Come! You must dance!" the viking lady dragged Hytham into the crowd, moving around in what was anything but dancing. Yet, Hytham let her excitable energy reach him as he attempted to do whatever she did. He even drank himself under the table, a table that was flipped sideways to shield him and the woman from prying eyes as they slept.

[theburaeu]

It amazes me that they havent somehow brought back assassins. I mean, back to life. In the Bloodstone comics, they showed you could literally bring back someone through their memories, so why havent they just pulled another shroud out of their asses and brought back an assassin?! I mean, the assassins have a fucking apple and have had one for a decade, what the fuck are they doing? The assassins are posed for a come back arc we’ve never seen but Ubisoft keeps ignoring the modern day, so our assassins are collecting Isu artifacts like goddamn pokemon, but we’re not seeing them actully do anything. Desmonds old crew is in such an amazing position to actually fight Abstergo and with a legit assassin that is Basim Ibn Ishaq, we better see something like them becoming a larger, more prominent organization. Its about time they recover from the Purge. If they could legit bring back an assassin or kill and use a templars body for an assassin, IMAGINE WHAT COULD BE DONE.

[a-simp-named-slickback]

Star-Crossed | Basim x OC | Part 1

This is the first chapter of my AC Mirage fan fiction featuring my OC Nashira, an astronomer’s daughter who Basim befriends in his youth.

Basim dashed through the streets of Abbasiyah, holding a purse of coins tight against his chest. He knew swiping money from that merchant in the bazaar was a risky move, but it was a risk he was willing to take at the time.

To the merchant, this amount of money was nothing compared to the rest of his fortune, but to Basim it could buy him food for the next couple of days, maybe even a week if he was frugal enough with it.

He panted as he ducked and dodged through the crowds. He glanced behind him, seeing the guards still hot on his trail. He had hoped to lose them by now but they persisted. At this rate he would soon tire and slow down, making it easy for them to capture him. If that happened, not only would he lose the money but his hand as well.

Basim kept his eyes peeled for any place he could hide: a dark alleyway, a crate, an abandoned home, anything. He knew Baghdad like the back of his hand. One learns a lot about a city when you’re always running away from someone. Soon the courtyard of the House of Wisdom came into view with its luscious gardens and crowds of scholars providing ample places to hide. As he sharply turned a corner his eyes landed on an open window with thin curtains billowing in the breeze. Without thinking, he bolted for the opening, jumping inside.

He landed with a huff, looking behind him to see if they followed. A barrage of footsteps ran past, growing fainter with each step until Basim could barely hear them anymore.

He let out a breath “One step ahead, as usual.” Basim thought to himself as he slipped the purse into his satchel. Now that that was over, Dervis would be expecting him for work soon. He’d need to head back to Anbar before it got dark, and Basim was a long way from home. He turned on his heel to dash away for good.

Just as his heartbeat returned to normal, he felt himself collide into something with an impact strong enough to send him straight to the floor. A thud rang out in the area, and Basim quickly scurried to the nearby wall where the window was. He looked up to see what, or rather who he bumped into, feeling his heartbeat skyrocket when he spotted a girl staring wide eyed back at him.

A girl, who with one scream, could summon the guards.

With a gasp, she quickly stood up, backing away from Basim. Her golden brown eyes bore into his. She looked quite young, if he had to guess she was somewhere near his age. Judging by the brilliant blue salwar kameez and the fine silk scarf around her neck, they lived very different lives. A number of scrolls and books were scattered around her, no doubt having fallen because of their collision.

He looked around to figure where he was. In his haste to get away from the guards, he hadn’t realized he’d made his way to the library. There were rows and rows of bookshelves and desks surrounding him. It didn’t seem like anyone else was in this room except for the two of them. That was good; even if she did scream he’d have time to dash before she could point him out.

Suddenly a guard came to the window, “You, girl! Have you seen a boy running through here?” He asked her.

Basim shrank from where the guard was, hoping he wouldn’t look down and see him cowering below. Still, he instinctually positioned himself so he’d be ready to run at a moment's notice if he needed to.

The girl glanced down at Basim, “I…um…” She watched as he silently pleaded with her to not tell the guard his whereabouts, but Basim saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

This part of the library held old tomes from scholars in the past, including texts from around the known world requested by the Caliph himself. Therefore, this room in the library wasn’t open to everyone. They had to have special permission from the head Scholar, which this boy clearly didn’t have.

Still, he was just a boy. A frightened looking one at that.

“Please,” He mouthed to her, as if to beg her to keep quiet about his whereabouts.

She looked up at the guard and cleared her throat, “I saw him go that way.” She pointed in the opposite direction and the guard darted that way in an instant.

The girl craned her head out the window, making sure he was long gone. She crouched down to meet Basim’s eyes, “It’s safe to come out now.” She said just above a whisper, as if she were scared the guard could somehow hear her.

Immediately, he let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding in. That's when eyes landed on the scattered books and scrolls along the floor, no doubt a result of his colliding with this girl. Feeling guilty, he crawled forward to gather them for her.

He cleared his throat, “Thank you…for not giving me away.” He said, looking up at her.

The girl gathered some books herself, “There is no need to thank me. I’m happy to help.”

The two of them carefully gathered the books as a silence hung over them. Every now and then

Basim would steal a glance at the girl next to him. The evening sunlight cast its golden glow on her, illuminating her soft features. Scattered across her face were a series of moles, the most prominent one just above her left eyebrow. Her dark curls billowed out of her scarf, framing her full cheeks.

She glanced his way as well and Basim quickly averted his gaze, realizing he had been staring at this girl for some time. He only hoped she could not see the redness spread across his cheeks. He shook off the feeling, choosing to instead turn his attention to the writings he held in his hands. He read the titles of some of the books as they both stood up.

He gasped when he saw a familiar name, “These are all writings by al-Khwarizmi?” he asked her.

The girl nodded, “I was just grabbing these for my father. al-Khwarizmi was his mentor. Do you know of him?” She asked.

“Know of him? I knew him,” He grinned, “When I was little I used to sneak into this very library and he would teach me mathematics and astronomy.” Basim smiled as fond memories of his time with that old man filled his mind again.

The girl's eyes widened, “Really? That's amazing!” She marveled, “What was he like?”

“Brilliant,” Basim answered, “Not very patient when I made mistakes, but he was kind nonetheless.” He looked down and realized he was still holding on to her books.

He cleared his throat, “Here.” He handed the girl her things, feeling a tingle shoot through him when his fingers touched hers.

He felt it again when she grabbed his arm, leading him out of the library and down the hall.

“You must meet my father!” She insisted, “He would love to meet another student of al-Kwarizmi.”

Basim stumbled behind her, not knowing what he got himself into, but nevertheless deciding to go along for the ride.

____________________________________________________________________________

Moment’s later, Basim found himself gazing at the ceiling of the room he entered. The girl brought him to what looked like an observatory, judging by the dome shaped ceiling with beautifully intricate designs of celestial bodies adorning it.

All around the room were star maps and other drawings. There were telescopes, compases, and many other tools along the walls, as well as large stacks of books messily gathered in the corners. There were two desks: one was full fo papers and scrolls with various compases and writing tools scattered around it, and the other was neatly organized with an large older man sitting there.

The girl gently sat the books and scrolls on a nearby table, scurrying her way over to the bearded man near the center of the room, “Baba, Baba!” she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention, though he seemed very deep into his work.

“One moment azizati, just need to figure out this calculation…” The older man stroked his graying beard, then fiddled with a nearby counter, “This doesn’t seem right…” He muttered to himself.

Basim watched as the girl drummed her fingers on the table, patiently waiting as her father wracked his brain over the mathematical formula. She sighed, looking over his shoulder at his work. She pointed to the paper, “You forgot to carry the two here, Baba.”

The man blinked, then threw his head back in a hearty chuckle that seemed to nearly shake the walls around them, “So it seems I have! Clever girl,” He patted her on the head, “Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?”

The girl motioned in Basim’s direction, “I want you to meet someone! This is-” She paused, “Oh, how rude of me. I haven’t even asked you your name.” She said, seeming embarrassed.

Basim waved her off, “It is alright. I am Basim.” He said, slightly bowing his head towards the two.

“It is nice to meet you, Basim. I am Nashira, and this is my father Khalid ibn Mohammed, the head astronomer here at the House of Wisdom.” she said proudly.

Basim felt something brush against him, causing him to look down to see a fluffy white cat rubbing itself against his legs. The cat had big green eyes and a pendant around its neck with a moon design on it. He crouched down to pet the creature, delighting in its soft purring. He quite liked cats, as there were many stray ones roaming around the streets. However this cat was definitely a purebred unlike the ones he found in Anbar.

Nashira giggled, “And that is our cat, Halah!” She turned to her father, “Baba, Basim was a student of al-Kwarizmi. And we just happened to…run into each other in the library. Isn’t that something?”

Basim was thankful she embellished that bit of the story.

Khalid’s eyes widened with surprise, a trait Basim could already tell his daughter inherited from him, “Mashallah!” He quickly rose from his seat and made his way to the young man, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him off the ground, “Any friend of my old mentor is a friend of mine.”

Basim squirmed a bit in the hold, but smiled nonetheless “Nice to meet you too, ustadi.” He strained to say.

Khalid gently set Basim down, dusting his shoulders as he let out another hearty chuckle, “I wish we could talk more, but I have a lecture to give. Please, make yourself at home here, my daughter can show you any studies you’d like to see about astronomy while you are here.”

Basim nodded, waving to the man as he left for his lecture. Nashira made her way beside him, now holding Halah herself.

She chuckled, “My Baba has never met a stranger,” She let Halah jump down from her arms, motioning for Basim to take a seat at the nearby table as she rummaged through a cabinet.

“I can tell,” He coughed out, rubbing his chest as he still felt the hug Khalid gave him. “How is it you have not met al-Kwarizmi? Seeing as your father is an astronomer and all.” He asked.

Nashira exited the cabinet, holding a plate of dates and a vase of water that she set on the table, “I was too young to come to the House of Wisdom back then. Baba hired a Nanny to take care of me while he studied under him, and once I was old enough I came here to study here under my father.”

Basim nodded as he made sense of what she was saying. Seeing as she was raised by a nanny in her childhood, he figured it was safe to assume her mother died when she was a baby. It made sense then why she got to study in the House of Wisdom if she was under her father’s care.

Basim nodded, “I see, that must have been after al-Kwarizmi passed. I was wondering why I had never seen you here before,” He graciously took the cup of water she poured for him, “I’m sure I would have remembered a girl like you.”

Nashira gave him a cheeky smile, raising an eyebrow as she did so.

Basim flushed, realizing how he sounded.

“What I mean is, there are not many young girls like yourself in the House of Wisdom.” He quickly added, hoping his last comment didn’t come off as him being fresh.

He felt himself relax when he heard her laugh, “Calm down, Basim. I am only teasing.” She sat down on the other side of the table, reaching for a date to snack on, “But you are right about that, not many scholars devote their time to teaching girls. So I count myself lucky that my father is one. It's just me and my Baba, studying the stars.”

Halah let out a meow, jumping on the table.

Nashira petted the cat, “And you too, Halah.” She gave the cat a date as well.

Basim smiled, “That sounds like quite the life.” He said, taking a sip of water and realizing how thirsty he had been. He then reached across the table to scratch Halah under the chin, smiling when she purred. Perhaps in a different life he’d be doing much the same with his father, learning the ways of an architect.

Some time passed as they enjoyed their snack together before Nashira spoke again. “Now if you don’t mind me asking, why were those guards chasing after you?” She placed her chin in her hand, waiting patiently for him to answer her.

Basim gulped. He should’ve known better than to think he’d get off completely Scott free.

“Well…you see I was…” He tried to think of any possible explanation that wouldn’t make him look bad but came up with nothing. He slumped, feeling it best to be honest, “I was caught stealing in the market.”

Nashira’s eyes widened, “Stealing? Why would you do that?”

Basim slumped even more, feeling shame set in.

Nashira’s eyes looked over Basim, taking in his appearance. His clothes were old and tethered, some of his garments looked worn beyond repair. Her eyebrows furrowed, feeling ashamed of herself for asking such a question.

“Nevermind, you do not need to answer that.” She told him.

Basim felt a bit of relief. Still, he could tell she pitied him, which didn’t make him feel much better.

He noticed the setting sun from the open window. Dervis would be expecting him soon and he’d need to leave if he wanted to get back to Anbar.

He stood up, “It is getting late, I really must get going,” He stood up from his chair, “Thank you again for helping me today, Nashira.”

She frowned, “You’re leaving already?” She asked, sounding saddened by the news.

He nodded, “I have to go home. Someone is expecting me.”

She took another glance at his clothes, “Where is home for you?” She asked carefully.

Basim bit his lip, “...Anbar.” He hesitated to say.

Anbar, the slums of Baghdad. Nashira had not learned much about her new friend, but with that in mind, certain things were starting to make sense. No one in their right mind would risk stealing unless they had too. Not when the punishment for stealing was losing a hand.

She gathered the remaining dates into a small pouch, “Please, take these with you.”

Basim shook his head, holding his hands in front of him in protest, “No, please, I do not want your pity.” He pleaded. The last thing he wanted was for this girl to feel sorry for him.

She tilted her head, “Pity? Baba always buys me too many dates. I never have anyone to share them with, so if you don’t take them they will just go to waste. You would be doing me a favor by taking them off my hands,” She smiled at him softly and shook the bag a little, hoping he would take them.

Basim felt the tension in his shoulders lessen. His eyes softened. Basim gave her a small smile as he took the bag of dates and placed them in his satchel. He felt his stomach grumble thinking about the sweet, juicy contents of the pouch. Nehal and the other children who worked for Dervis would love them as well.

He made his way toward the window, “Thank you Nashira. It was nice to meet you.” He said, meaning every word.

She watched as he jumped down onto a nearby ledge, then down to the courtyard below, “Come back and see me!” She called out to him.

He looked up at her, seeing her smiling face above, “I will!”

“You promise?” She asked.

“I promise!” He said back, waving as he did so. He was just about to turn around when he heard her call his name once more.

“And Basim! Next time, just use the front entrance.” She smirked.

He laughed, “I will try to remember that!”

[merelyplxyers]

@foolishonewriting "I honestly, think I should," Aurora hummed, a sense of amusement clear in her voice as she kept walking through the garden. "Something tells me he looks like nothing has ever happened at all," she taunted gently.

Basim knew that the newest addition to his harem was not fond of her new position. A flower as exotic as herself was surely far from home, and so he could not fault her for rattling at the bars of her golden cage every so often. But right here in this very moment he had wished for her gentle kindness to lighten his mood, not her teasing. "Taunting words don't suite you little flower", he said, voice low as he walked over to her, the gentle murmur of the water fountain filling the air, mixing with the singing of the birds and the humming of the bees. Blood splatters seeping into his silk kaftan and a bruise blooming on his cheek. Once undressed, his ribs would show a similar discolouring as his cheek, but he was right. His arrogant brother looked much worse, with a deep cut across his ugly face and a missing ear for not listening to Basim.

"But I am sure you will recognize my opponent next time you see him. It is hard to miss the mark I left"

[canaidliafail]

Fulkes undoing

fulke x f!reader drabble 🗡️

quick idea I had where you are one of Fulkes soldier that you have an intimate relationship with. Eivor kidnaps you in hopes that this will make fulke give her brother back. Sorry I unfortunately am a fulke enjoyer

when does the reason become the blame ? When did she fall so deep that her hand crafted soldier became her absolute undoing ?

weren’t you just her lackey ? sure you had spent countless nights exploring each other's bodies, mostly her exploring yours but even so, weren't you just someone to abide to all her whims and blindly follow her faith ? Then when ? How did she find herself in this position ?

It only took a second. a moment of weakness where Eivor, seething with anger, looked for her soft spot. Something to threaten her with and in her vulnerability her eyes darted over to you in concern. That was enough.

Eivor leaped and wrapped an arm around your shoulders pulling them back, pinning them against your back and her axe was flat against your chest the tip pressed against your neck. You stopped breathing a thick clot forming in your throat from the supressed oxygen and eivors voice felt heavy right by your ears

“My brother in return for your woman” she threatened, still having reason within her to make a fair offer. What Fulke was building brick by brick to hide , Eivor had figured out in seconds.

You saw Fulke, looking collected, tall and cold as ice her blue eyes having a heated battle for dominance with Eivors. The ice blue darkened, a storm was brewing tainting the skies of her mind. You were familiar with that look

“She is but one of my soldiers” Fulke tried the words, flattening them, trying to unravel the situation unceremoniously but her pinky finger twitched and her breathing pattern grew deeper. she was at Eivors mercy at the moment

“I could replace her by dinner. Can you say the same for your brother ?” she teased with a sharp, thin smile but Eivor didn’t waver. she lowered her axe and pushed you towards a man who grabbed you with equal force. -Basim- as you recalled.

“She isn’t just a soldier fulke. That much I could tell. Bring me my brother tomorrow and I’ll let her go. Dont make me change the deal by saying an arm for an arm as well”

Fulke turned her back waving goodbye and grabbed a horse. The rest of her soldiers followed her lead heading back. She prayed that you understood this was an act. that she hadn’t abandoned you. In all honesty though she was lost and she felt cold sweat prickle her skin and dampen the fabric of her back

this may very well be the last day she would see you. Could she possibly find Eivors hideout within 12 hours, find you and then bring you back to her chambers where you could stay there safely and out of sight.

She had worked all her life for this moment. She couldn’t just give sigurd back. Sigurds prophecy was her life's purpose. She grew gloomy and grim. “Hej!” she called out and whipped the reins harder, urging the horses to pick up their pace.

what was the solution

what was the answer

what

what….

Had her God abandoned her or did she perhaps abandon him while pursuing you?

[nerdynanny]

Slowly they sneak up behind Basim in a crouched position- eyes ever focused on him as they watched their footing. Light and agile as they made their way behind him before giving his shoulder a nudge… -Basim

"Best you work on your stealth Eivor." He turned to face them, arms crossed over his chest. "I heard you coming-- if you really want to surprise me, you'll have to surpass me. Which I believe you can do." His stern expression softened. They weren't one of his fledglings, but an ally.

Still, they seemed interested in learning the ways of the Hidden Ones. They'd need to sharpen their skills further.

"You've come far though. You're not nearly has heavy footed as your brother."

[wolfkcst]

The enormity of my desire -Accepting!! @larinasciita

It was unfair, how easily riled up the wolf-kissed had gotten when Basim had them pinned down. Eivor growled lowly, and for a split moment they looked away to find some kind of leverage to get on top instead only to hear his ever teasing voice. Look at me. Light azure gaze shift back up towards the man, only to roughly pull him into a kiss and immediately switched positions so they were on top. They pull back to look down at the man, a small grin forming on their lips. ❝What's wrong? Raven caught your tongue?❞

[irregularjohnnywiggins]

You think Basim ever got an identity crisis when he saw Eivor before he figured out she was Odin?

Like, here's the adopted sibling of the ruler of a tribe (who he is also convinced is Odin), who is accepted as one of them until she steps out of line (killing Dag), at which point they all turn on her. She constantly does the mucky jobs whilst her brother gets the credit, and when she tries to point out her own accomplishments she's shot down and ridiculed by her brother's other confidant, who's a great fighter but near incapable of coming up with any other strategy than 'hit the thing really hard' and dumb as a tree to boot.

Like, at some point Basim has to have gone '...am I certain I'm the Sage of Loki? Like, I'm not just the Sage of... Narfi or something like that?' And when he finally does figure out what's going on, he's like 'Okay, good, identity crisis over, let's not think about Havi being in the same position as I was, we are repressing the hell out of that.'

[firerwolf]

So I finally played Mirage(waited till it was on sale to buy) and a lot of what I thought about the game is true. It is just very clearly a Valhalla DLC. The parkor, the combat, and a lot of the animations are all Valhalla. There a few new kill animations but they really just are new because daggers are new. The sword is just the short sword which was added with siege of Paris and two weapon kills were already a thing with Valhalla. And the sad thing is that it still being Valhalla's system is one of the only good things about the game. I don't have that much nice to say about the game.

The only other positive I have to say is that it was nice to see some of the training of a Hidden One though as a critique I wanted that part to be longer. They really just start you off then montage away Basim learning anything which was a major letdown. There were some things here that I did enjoy learning. Hidden Ones are supposed to all have eagles. It though retroactively makes it weirder that Hytham has no eagle. It's explained why Basim doesn't have one in Golden City and such but no reason why Hytham doesn't. Basim gets one before he even has his finger cut off. I will be rectifying this in Eagle Kissed. Also it made clear that Rayhan is a very important person. Like he was in charge of Alamut so him being Hytham's direct mentor is important to at least me. It though would have made Hytham a better character to be the main character of the game.

Now the the negative. The story is sort of bland for the most part. It feels to railroaded at many parts though that's a byproduct of it being a limited style game. Another side effect of the limited style game is that there are a cast of characters around Basim and you don't get to know any of them really. You hardly even get to know Roshan and she was important.

The game's story goes from bland to just awful and muddled and just trash though once you find out who is the head of the Order. I'll go into details about my issue with the end when i get to the part where I'll talk about spoilers but the simple way of putting it is that after you find out who is the head the story falls pray to the fact that it is pretty clear that the story was readjusted to be about Basim as you could easily see how the story would be about Eivor but then the Basim motivations are just shoehorned in and the entire thing comes off as being just disjointed. Also by the end of the game Basim should have been kicked out of the Hidden Ones so Valhalla makes way less sense.

I also spent the entire game just confused as to why the character needed to be Basim. The Jinni thing is so randomly brought up, not really explored or even elaborated on, and its resolution was not good and really just makes the very end be dumb as fuck. If not for the very last part, which if you just removed Basim's motivation the ending would have made more sense, the story could have been about Eivor or even Hytham. But the random things that feel like they were tacked on when they decided to make the game separate and about Basim sort of ruin the story.

Spoilers under the read more

From here on I'll be spoiling shit because I just want to talk about the mess that the ending was. So in the end the Jinni was Loki, even though the developers said it wasn't, but it was. But so also was Nehal. So just the entire time Basim is just way worse at interacting with Loki than Eivor ever was. But the big reveal that Nehal was not actually there and that the Jinni is just a past memory of one of Loki's reincarnations is just a mess and feels so out of place. There’s also an issue with the fact that before the game even starts he knows Nepal and is tormented by the Jinni. Like in the start of the game he knows about the Hidden Ones, wants to be one, but also has the Jinni tormenting him and Nehal is his best friend. But then he touched a Isu disk and it gives him like flashbacks that don’t make sense but are somehow of Loki and are actually the Jinni but the fact that touching the artifact isn’t what awakens the Jinni or manifests Nehal is just dumb. Like they were just naturally bothering him. But this further then makes things confusing when somehow the answers to his past are under Alamut even though he is in Baghdad. Like Eivor was born in Norway and her story lead back to Norway for the big Isu part of it. She didn’t find out that there was some Isu thing in England. It’s all just convoluted and disappointing that none of it feels natural or connected in the end and only feels dumb.

So Basim finds out who the head of the order is, Roshan at first doesn't want to let him assassinate them but then he talks her into it. Basim makes his way into the palace, finds the head of the order, and then for some random ass fucking reason they tell him he's more than a man and that he's special and he listens to her and doesn't question anything. Not only has being more than a normal man not really been a thing for the entire story but the fact that Basim doesn't question for even a second that the order wants to use him and doesn't have his interest in mind is just dumb. Roshan killed the head of the order, threatens Basim that if he goes to the area below Alamut then she'll kill him, and they argue and the game makes it seem like Roshan doesn't have a good point and that Basim shouldn't consider her reasoning.

So this is where the story gets worse. At this point I already though things were dumb but then he goes to Nehal and they ride for Alamut. Never mind that Nehal has been just creepy the entire game and Basim has been ignoring that. They get near Alamut and find out that the Order is attacking and that a lot of the Hidden Ones are dead. Basim then gets attacked by some Order troops and is saved by a Hidden One who is mortally wounded by the time Basim wakes up. Basim then randomly hates on the Creed as not saving anyone because for some reason he's forgotten that in service of the light that means putting your life on the line and standing to protect it. Why somehow someone that is supposed to be a master doesn't get this I don't know.

Basim then makes his way to the area below Alamut where there are still some Hidden Ones alive including Rayhan. But while he's doing this he's being pissy about the hidden temple below Alamut even though he should be focused on saving lives. It is a good example of how the temple stuff and the Jinni stuff feels tacked on. Like there's a clear threat, they knew from a previous mission that Alamut was in danger. If instead of talking about how special Basim was the Order head had talked about how it was to late and that troops were already on their way to Alamut to kill all the Hidden Ones the story would have made more sense. Again either as Hytham who would have rushed to the aid of his brothers and sisters or Eivor for the same reason. But the weird selfish motivations of Basim clash with the actual events.

Basim frees Rayhan and he says there is something that the Hidden Ones have been protecting under Alamut and no it's not anything you already know of, its a completely random thing that isn't there in any of the other games and is never mentioned in any other game. For some reason Rayhan doesn't suggest that if Basim can open it then they should clear out all of the Order and then support him in opening it. No Basim just walks off and says he's going to do it alone which is the dumbest thing. So he doesn't question if he should use caution about what's in the isu temple thing and just storms off like a child who for some reason has just lost all his sense. Like he wasn't an idiot until the end. He was relatively smart but he just does something really dumb.

He kills the guards and then fight Roshan because she said she would. Then there is this moment where Roshan says that he doesn't have to be owned by his past and that she doesn't want to loose him to what's inside the temple. Basim then claims she was controlling him when she hasn't really for the entire game. Like she wasn't even there for much game. And the thing is that this would be a great scene if it had an impact on anything. Basim just almost kills her because he's turned his back on the Hidden Ones but this won't effect anything.

Once the fight it over Nehal randomly shows up and then Basim finds that there's a symbol he's seen because it was on an artifact which I'll get to in a moment about how it's a failure in a moment. He puts his blood on the symbol, opens a door even though like blood has never been needed to open doors in the past and it makes no sense his blood should work on this door. Because what it is is a Isu style coffin thing which when it opens has Nehal inside and...it makes no sense. Like the thing he finds makes no sense. He realizes that Nehal has never interacted with a single person but him and is just a figment of his imagination. Which does mean Loki is a bigger dick and was manipulating Basim his entire life. It's hard to make Odin not look like the biggest dick but Odin didn't try to hide anything from Eivor. So Basim then realizes that the Jinni is...a past life who was held captive in the coffin thing he found...and yet somehow Nehal is able to touch an object in that cutscene for...some reason.

So then Basim goes on and on about wanting peace and then he faces the jinni and he realizes and accepts it's his past trauma and he lets it go. And you'd think at this point that Basim was doing what Roshan wanted, he's turning away the past and deciding his future, like Eivor did in Valhalla before the Last chapter fucked everything up. But then Nehal shows up and Basim, after letting go of the Jinni and saying he wasn't going to let the past control him then merges with Loki. So I was right, Basim is dead by the end and is instead Loki. So he let go off the past but then also lets himself get consumed. And for some reason the Brotherhood lets him stay around and the thing under Alamut was nothing and didn't actually matter meaning that the Hidden Ones died for nothing because there really wasn't anything there.

It's a trash ending that ends up having no real message, muddied and twisted into just being weird and not making sense in the end. And if you had removed the entire Jinni thing, and the secret temple being a weird former prison or something the ending would have been better but Basim's sudden illogical actions and attitude really just ruin it. The only good thing about the ending is that at least his bird rejects him in the end. It knows he's not Basim, that he's not a Hidden One. But that's the only good part of the ending.

So the game made me hate it because of the ending. What would have been just an okay game to me is a bad game. A game bad enough I deleted it the moment I finished.

[vegtamr]

well.

It's been a long time, a long time! I carried this idea in my head. The original story tells about the forbidden love of an angel and a human girl, which led to the fact that the virgin was shot, but the angel gave her life to her and died.

to this post:

in my own interpretation of this story and the story I saw in acv, I wanted to portray a concept that was interesting to me. The purpose of eivor's birth was the rebirth of Odin. Odin saw this rebirth as perfect when he calculated the variations of fate with the help of yggdrasil. regarding the gods and the entire Scandinavian faith, Eivor, one might say, "sinned" when she renounced what the "Norns" had intended for her, and went a completely different way before she decided to thoroughly know her essence. the loss of an eye in this situation became an engine of progress for her, which almost brought her back to her starting position, but she realized in time that something was wrong. at the last moment, she writes vili a letter telling her how to get to yggdrasil and what needs to be done so that he can be born again, that is, leave his dna in the gray's memory (I myself do not know how possible this is). she really fell in love with her best friend and wanted to spend another life with him — a calm and measured one. the proof of her truth was the blindfold removed from her eye — she did not like this particular scar left by Basim, and often hid it, even when she and Vili were sleeping. this exposure of her essence was the only argument in her favor.

Vili's sin was that he followed her to her plan. in fact, due to the fact that he was not a rebirth of Isa, yggdrasil killed him, his body could not withstand that radiation. but his dna was preserved before the radioactive destruction. Thus, Eivor eventually died in Vinland, and Wili in Norway. therefore, sooner or later they were both able to be reborn — perhaps vili was born without a past memory, while Eivor is haunted even in a new life by the ghosts of the past — and from two lives at once.

p. s. I really appreciate this song and the opinion on my little interpretation!! Thank you for reading and/or watching :).

[teecupangel]

Basim: That bloodsheed was needless.

Me: There was no button to pickpocket, Basim!

[Contractor Request: Do not kill anyone] failed.

Me and Basim: (Proceed to systematically kill every single guard for a freaking mirror)

(but in all seriousness, I think it's either a bug or the pickpocket option is locked when enemies are looking for Basim... which would have been a good plan if I did that on purpose to get him to a more secure position and not because the controls decided I wanted to jump down instead of jump into the rope thing and alerted the guards.)

[leofrith]

Obligatory "Eivor!" for the ask game

well yeah of course ✨

a song that reminds me of them: borders by kalandra. every kalandra song can be about eivor if i want it bad enough 💖

what they smell like: honey and wood smoke

an otp: girl has chemistry with basically everyone. kassandra vili randvi hytham estrid etc etc. but i'm feeling some type of way about leofrith lately (lately being the last uuuuuh six months rip)

a notp: sigurd. there's a few others that i can understand but just don't particularly care for but keep away from me with that shit in particular. they're literally siblings!!!

favorite platonic/familial relationships: sigurd in the deeper version of their relationship that lives in my head. varin because eivor's relationship with her father is one of the emotional through lines of eivor's character in the main game. rosta, my darling rosta, who doesn't get as much attention as she deserves, but eivor is such a mama's girl and it makes me a bit insane. also gunnar!!! he loves her so much and is so proud of her. styrbjorn and eivor's relationship is so interesting and i wish we got to see more of it. i'm just listing everyone now. valka and eivor's relationship is so sweet and there's a kind of trust and understanding there that i don't think eivor shares with any other character.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: i don't know if there are really any specific headcanons that i dislike? i tried to write a few responses to this but they just feel really nitpicky so i stopped 😂

the position they sleep in: when she's alone, with her back to a wall with easy access to a weapon. when she's with a trusted partner she's the little spoon because she can rest easy knowing she has someone watching her back ����

a crossover au i’d love to see them in: accidentally have been becoming very serious about my star wars au in which mandalorian eivor comes into possession of the darksaber and starts having visions because of it (the sword's haunted--) while also trying to lead her scattered people and ally with jedi hytham and basim, who are hunting a relic of the jedi order for their own purposes. if none of this makes sense to you because you don't know or care about star wars lore then i envy you 💖 just ignore this and read the fic whenever i finish it pspspsps it's all you need i promiseeeee

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: the berserker armour is my usual go to, but i also hate wearing it in wintery regions because eivor looks cold ahgsdfasdhf in which cases i'll usually rotate between the raven clan or mystical armor. would also wear the huldufolk armor if i had it !!!!!!

send me a character and i will answer these questions!

[miragegames2023]

Unmasking Corruption and Seeking Justice in Assassin's Creed Mirage

Set in ninth-century Baghdad, the player assumes the role of Basim, a youthful street thief who pilfers to eke out a living. Charismatic and resourceful, Basim's objective is to obtain something of significance that could aid the downtrodden in their daily struggles. However, when his plan goes awry, the oppressive ruling class vents its anger on the impoverished populace. Overwhelmed by a potent mix of anger and guilt, Basim seizes a chance to flee, finding refuge with the Hidden Ones, a clandestine organization operating in the shadows. During his absence, he immerses himself in the ways of the assassins, emerging as a skilled practitioner. Now, Basim returns to confront and rectify the rampant corruption plaguing society, seeking justice for the oppressed and perhaps even looking for a few new allies to join him in his quest to buy PS5 games for their shared gaming enjoyment.

The city within the game comes to life with a rich and immersive environment that encourages interaction. Notable among the highlights is the new pickpocket system, allowing players to employ their light-fingered skills to steal valuable rewards. Another intriguing addition is the introduction of favor tokens, special coins earned through various objectives, thefts, and the like. These tokens can be utilized to procure special services or bribe significant characters within the game world. The implementation of the notoriety system, reminiscent of the style seen in GTA games, adds a new layer of complexity. Now, posters bearing your likeness are scattered throughout the city, and vigilant NPCs can report your activities to the guards. The notoriety system comprises three escalating levels, with the third level unleashing elite guards in relentless pursuit of your character. The establishment of the Brotherhood in Egyptian territories served as a counterforce against the Order of the Ancients, the precursors of the Templars. The Brotherhood operates covertly, working in the shadows to safeguard the freedom of the population. This theme was initially emphasized in Bayek's missions in Origins and continues in Mirage, with the game following a more linear narrative direction in its development, making it easier for players to immerse themselves in the story and make informed choices when deciding which PS5 games to buy for their next gaming adventure.

The Evolution of the Protagonist's Journey

In the Assassin's Creed Mirage video game, the character initially appears somewhat lost in the prologue. However, as the story unfolds, they discover a purpose and eventually become an "intern" at the Hidden Ones. Subsequently, they progress to being a "young apprentice" and face a series of challenges leading towards ultimately "signing the card." Their remarkable performance in these tasks foreshadows their ascent to the position of "boss." This progression is divided into three main arcs, which players can tackle in any order, accompanied by various sidequests and contracts, all conveniently managed through an investigation table in the menu. This gameplay element draws parallels with the style of Far Cry, though it raises a minor concern. The solution implemented in the game is intriguing, as it maintains a strong focus on the core narrative while streamlining the gameplay experience. However, it also raises a cautionary flag about potentially becoming formulaic, which could result in the easy replication of this structure for future titles in the series. Nonetheless, this doesn't diminish the brilliance of the narrative and how seamlessly it integrates with the gameplay. During a recent interview with Game Informer, Stephane Boudon, the creative mind behind Mirage, discussed the challenge of featuring Basim as the protagonist. A notable point emphasized in the interview was Basim's status as the Master Assassin, which must be reflected in the gameplay. As a result, players should not anticipate frenetic combat scenarios or expect to confront adversaries head-on with unwavering resilience. Mirage doesn't align with that style of gameplay. While it's technically possible to take that approach, it's neither advisable nor particularly clever. Mirage places a premium on stealth mechanics, and even fans of the Hitman series will recognize some intriguing references that cater to this aspect of gameplay, making it a thrilling experience for those who appreciate intricate stealth mechanics in their games and are looking for new PS5 games to buy to quench their gaming thirst.

Embracing the Art of Stealth and Assassination

In the Assassin's Creed Mirage video game, the environment is used to one's advantage, disguises are taken, and murders are committed sneakily and silently. That is what Mirage is all about, and it provides the player with the tools to do so. Whether using the blade concealed traditionally or employing smoke bombs, traps, and tranquilizing dice, the player can utilize these methods. Enkidu, the character's eagle companion, and Basim's sixth sense are used to plot, plan, and execute everything perfectly. Despite not being an RPG, it still features a skill tree, various equipment options, and collectibles scattered throughout the world.

Assassin's Creed Mirage offers a delightful experience for enthusiasts of the series' inception, now celebrating its 15th anniversary and holding a significant place not just within the gaming sector but also in the broader entertainment market. Departing from the recent RPG elements, it embraces a more direct, enjoyable, and gameplay-challenging approach, rightfully presenting a title where the central character assumes the role of a Master Assassin.