#next chapter will be Desmond pov

[sulfies]

Mermay Fic pt1

Ezio always felt bad about the small number of humble gondoliers he sent into the canale for a swim, he really did. He did try to apologize the first couple of times but honestly, he just did not have the time for it anymore. He usually did just toss them coins if anybody did walk up to him all angry the next day at the square.

And it truly was not that big of a deal, It's just water… 

“Oh did you hear-”

Ezio picked up his freshly repaired boots from the apprentice of the cobbler when trained ears picked up on the two ladies gossiping about the latest in Venice.

“No wait he did not! The assassin?!”

Who? Did what? What did he get up to this time? Ezio nodded at the shop as he slowly walked closer getting into the earshot more to get the full story on his new supposed doings…

“Yes Yes! Elena saw it too! He was docked as he always is around those times, you know that man likes a schedule” The other woman nodded agreeing and Ezio held a sigh.

Stalling aren't we… get to the juicy bits woman. His foot tapped on the stone ground

“and suddenly the brute jumps down on him and throws him into the canale, doesn't even yell sorry or look back, just takes off with the gondola!”

The other woman did an offended gasp as Ezio finally also clocked what they were talking about

“And I normally like the assassin guy too! So I was shocked ofcourse, everyone was-”

He tilted his head remembering yesterday's run-ins, Yes maybe he did throw another one into the Canales torrents as he was on a chase but what was the big deal this time, if he got legs he can swim, it's not like the gondolier was-

“I mean what kind of a sane man throws a paralyzed man into the water and steals his boat!”

Oh…

The gondolier was Paralyzed...

Nothing is True everything is allowed so might as well toss a disabled towner into the water Ezio!

“Well was he all right? Is he injured?” 

Yes was he? Ezio wanted to rush out to the woman and shake her asking if his victim was okay, what was his address and would he accept a sorry in payments.

“Thankfully no, but he refused to let us help him out…” The woman's tone took a curious tune. “It was weird but he was probably embarrassed and didn't want people to see… you know…” The hand gesture around the legs told what she meant and it only drew another stake at Ezios heart so Ezio took it as his cue to leave and look for the man.

Well… He fucked around too much and now has to beg this old dude for forgiveness…. 

He looked at the new boots in his hand… can't even give him these, great fuckup Ezio. Leo will laugh his ass off about this.

—------------------

It took him two days to track the man down, turns out when half the city is traversable via water everyone tries being a gondolier at least once, but this one has made a name for himself, which did not help Ezios conscience because all everyone said was;

“Oh, that man? yes, you can find him around here when the sun is up midday, very sweet and strange that one, always jokes with the others, nice to talk to.”

”Oh you mean him? Such a nice fella always chats to me about my day…”

”Paralyzed Gondolier…. ah you mean the nice one that hangs around here all day?”

So needless to say Ezio was sweating a bit but he was here to make things right!

His purse was heavier than usual today with an apology gift added into it, he walked the middle district scanning over any water he could see as he passed the bridges, he came to an opening of a small courtyard where people were sitting under the tree on benches and some street kids were playing around. It was one of those areas that had access to the water via stairs and docks. It was one of the busier yards since it had few shops around it too.

Ezio realized this was, in fact, the route he took 3 days ago, hopefully finding him will be easy, there can't be that many disabled gondola rowers. His eyes moved over the body of water,  there were 5 gondoliers docked near just hanging about, 2 of them sitting on a dock near their boats. He tried to look for an old weak man but the one he did notice did not show up on his eagle vision at all. 

When the same man also got up to stretch Ezio erased him off of possible victims.

Then he caught a flicker of gold light and his eyes zeroed into a golden bright figure on the left,

He blinked turning the vision on and off a couple of times...

”Ah cazzo, just my luck”

He didn't almost drown an old man who couldn't walk, he almost drowned one of the most handsome gondoliers in Venice.

[silken-moonlight]

The Elegance Series Part 9: Older Alpha x Human Waitress

A/N: Hi there! Today hasn't been a great day for me, as I wrote before. I was at the doctor's office today and am now on heart meds. I have to see how everything will go from here. Though I still want to post regularly. Love you all and everyone who wished me well. Enjoy the new chapter! 💗💗💗

Your Pov

You went home feeling giddy and happy. Though it quickly faded when you stepped into your home. A sense of dread filled you, afraid that something might have happened while you were gone. Gladly, today this wasn't the case. Your parents had gone to bed, and Pumpkin and Spice slept peacefully in the living room. A soft smile tugged at your lips as you silently slid up the stairs to the second story. After a hot shower, which helped you sober up, you went to bed. For a moment, you scrolled on your phone, checking your social media and emails. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

However, you suddenly remembered that Desmond didn't have your number...but you had his. A warm feeling crept into your chest when you thought about the older man. He had an aura of security and calm...He was magnetic, something always pulled you back to him. You took out the card he gave you so many days ago and typed it into your phone. Quickly saving it under: Desmond (Alpha).

Before you could overthink it, you wrote him a quick text:

Y/N:Hi Desmond, it's Y/N. I wanted to save your number and give you a call at the same time.

Desmond: That is wonderful; thank you so much for texting me. It made my sweet night even sweeter.

You blushed behind you phone and chuckled.

Y/N: Thank you so much. I am looking forward to our date tomorrow.

Desmond: Me too. I would like to invite you for lunch together.

Y/N: I adore that idea! When do you want to meet up?

Desmond: As soon as you could

Desmond: I mean as soon as you are available

Y/N: How about 1 pm?

Desmond: Perfect, I'll pick you up at your house.

Y/N: Until then!

Desmond: Until then, darling.

Your heart beat faster when you put your phone away, anticipating the date you would have. Now that you knew Desmond was always visiting "Sailor Boy," you were so giddy and excited. You really liked him. You wanted this to be something nice...Though you knew how it would end. At first, the people are always so understanding of your situation. They have no problem at first with your always having to be ready to leave a date or that you can't go on vacation and shut off your phone. They understand that partying is off the table for you and that you don't want to go to clubs.

You were happy with your life; you were okay with taking care of your parents. Sadly, others were not, telling you that one day you would regret not spending your youth wildly. It was frustrating trying to tell people that you didn't miss anything. Your mind told you that things with Desmond wouldn't be different. As soon as he knew he had to share you, he would lose interest. Also, you were overly aware of how he had his own responsibilities. He lived in an entirely different world than you, one where you wouldn't fit. You would enjoy his attention for the time that he was here.

- The next Day -

You spend the entire morning getting ready, bathing, and doing so much self-care. Your last date had been ages ago, and you were so happy to have the opportunity to make yourself look pretty.

Your parents were happy for you too, encouraging you. They even took the dogs out for a walk so that you had the house to yourself for a little while.

Now, you were standing in front of the mirror, looking at yourself. The dress you chose was elegant: a blue that complimented your skin, with white embroidery of stars at the hem of the skirt. The sleeves were bell sleeves, and the neckline was a beautiful V. You chose those white pumps that you almost never wore and applied soft makeup. Perfume and deodorant finished the look.

You were ready, looking elegant yet casual. Your heart was beating so fast, excitement surging through your entire body.

Desmond: Good Morning Beautiful, I am at you parents house and will wait for you

You looked at the clock. 12:45 a.m. He was early. A smile tugged at your lips; somebody was clearly eager. It flattered you.

Quickly, you said goodbye to your parents and dogs as you walked out of the front door.

A large, black SUV stood there, Desmond leaning casually against it. When he spotted you, a smile adorned his face. The alpha looked sinfully handsome. His beard was freshly trimmed, his hair loose, and he wore dress pants and a dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. "You look stunning, darling," Desmond greeted you, looking you up and down.

"All that for me?" He asked and smiled a little more. Feeling bold, you stepped closer and kissed him on the cheek. "All for you." You felt proud when you saw the slight flush on his cheeks. The Alpha smelled amazing; his cologne smelled rich and deep—wood, leather, and tobacco.

"Shall we?" His voice was smooth, and you nodded. He opened the door for you, and you slipped into the passenger's seat. "Thank you," you said and smiled at him. He closed the door and walked around to the other side.

"No need to thank me. Did you sleep well?" He asked and began to drive. "I did, how about you? Your way home was definitely longer than mine." He smiled. "Oh, I slept quite well, knowing that I would see you again today." You chuckled. "Such a charmer, though I must admit I was excited to see you again." His smile widened. "I love hearing that. Also, I thought I might take you to the orangery that they made into that exclusive restaurant. It's beautiful there—if you believe their website." You nodded. You had heard of that before. "Oh, I always wanted to go there," you said honestly. "I've actually been to the manor it belongs to a couple of times. Some of my acquaintances got married there." Desmond listened to you. "The local pack thought of buying the land and manor when it had some money problems. Though since they have the restaurant, those have vanished, and it runs really well." You nodded. You had heard something similar—minus the mention of the local pack.

Suddenly, Desmond's phone rang and connected to the car. Desmond sighed, annoyed. "I have to take that call. It's my beta, Isaac."

"I don't mind," you said with a smile.

Desmond pressed a Button and said:"Behave Isaac, I have a Lady with me." The alpha greeted the beta. There was an immediate laugh on the other end:"Did you finally have the balls to ask the cute waitress out?" You blushed extremly and looked over to Desmond who looked like he'd die of embaressment. "Isaac I swear..." There was just laughing on the other and:"Yeah Yeah. Also Hi to the waitress, I don't know your name yet. I'm Isaac, his beta." You looked at Desmond who nodded, so you answered:"Hello Isaac, I'm Y/N. Desmond has told me about you before." You could hear the beta chuckling:"Awwww, thats really sweet of you Des. Telling you mate about me."

"Isaac!" Desmond thundered. "Is there any other reason you called me?" he said, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

You just wondered what Isaac meant by 'mate'. You had never heard that Word in this context before.

Taglist: @the-witches-creatures @blushycadaver @strawberrypoundtown @blackbirdwitch22 @my-anime-garden

Divider Credit: @thecutestgrotto

[sy-on-boy]

Anya + unraveling the mystery of the Desmond family (and Damian being different)

When Melinda debuted, I wrote a post about how she was potentially a character against the Forgers because Anya hadn't met her (we gain insight into characters via our deus ex machina Anya meeting them and reading their minds). Anya has met her now and the narrative has established that she genuinely cares for Damian (even if she's still a mysterious character).

After a long time, Demetrius is finally here. He's still mysterious, but not antagonistic to his brother and still cares for him. Like I said in a previous post, Demetrius subverts what I said above because Anya cannot read him fully even if she's met him. But regardless, Demetrius is here, we've seen him, all four Desmonds have finally debuted. And in my mind, I can vaguely connect them to the Forger-Briar extended family:

Anya - Damian: The kids aiming for stella stars and seeking parental approval. Attached to their dogs. Occasionally heroic (dodgeball, handkerchief, bus hijacking), but ultimately silly kids dragged into "adult" political matters (Anya with more awareness than Damian).

Loid - Donovan: Standing in for WISE vs war, one of the central conflicts. They are fathers and authority figures. Loid, faking a job as a psychiatrist, seeks to understand people (as a fake job, but he also does this as a spy). Donovan famously declared that people would never truly sympathize with each other. A good, attentive father and a neglectful father.

Yor - Melinda: The mothers, the narrative kind of puts them in the background compared to their husbands, but we know they have plot behind them. Yor's job as an assassin is unknown to her family (sans Anya). Melinda has struggles of her own when it comes to parenting her kids / being married to Donovan.

Demetrius - Yuri: Bit of a stretch, but they're both characterized as genius brothers and on the side compared to the main father-mother-child trios. Yuri works for the SSS, in direct opposition to Loid. Demetrius is a middle schooler?? He’s a child so he’s probably not that involved in the main plot, and if he is, it’s not willingly / he was brought up that way. They're both younger (and less experienced) compared to the adults- Demetrius is still a child and Yuri is 20. Yuri's affection for Yor is overflowing and the Briar siblings are very supportive of each other. In contrast, Demetrius is passive and apathetic, but not uncaring.

Anya has met everyone except for Donovan. Anya thinks both Melinda and Demetrius are weird. And Anya thinks of Donovan as the evil super boss. To her, the Desmonds are "weird". "All of Sy-on boy's relatives are such weirdos" - not sure if it's just the translation, but this line seems to imply Anya thinks Damian is exempt to the weirdness of his family. After all, unlike Demetrius, she can read Damian's thoughts normally. And unlike Melinda (and Yuri, and Fiona), she usually doesn't get bombarded with an overwhelming wave of intense thoughts when she reads Damian's mind.

And that brings us to the next point - Damian's time in Eden and the positive influences he receives (away from his family). Damian and Anya are better friends now. E&E's loyalty and affection for him have been established countless times. Becky congratulates Damian this chapter. Despite Damian thinking people suck up to him to get close to his father, he has a group of friends who do care about him (including Becky who doesn't suck up to him). Outside of what we see from Anya's pov, Damian has teachers and his dorm mother (Jeeves too) who care for him. Damian isn't alone.

Damian is shown to be disconnected from his family for whatever reason. His parents didn't come to his orientation. Damian says he doesn't see his parents often. Melinda cares for Damian but isn't allowed to see him often / afraid to be seen with him (?). Damian has called Demetrius before but this is the first time we see him meet Demetrius in person. And we all know about Damian's goal of impressing his father. Damian seems to believe Demetrius and Donovan when close when they were younger (when Demetrius was slightly older than Damian’s age), but Damian receives no such attention. Despite this, Damian still manages to have a fairly happy school life with his friends and supportive adult figures.

I think Damian's growing friendship with Anya and the recent complete reveal of the Desmond family will push Anya into thinking Damian is not like his weird family. If anything, Damian is more like Anya and her associates. Post bus-hijacking, Damian from Anya's POV is seen as more likeable / sympathetic, even more so now that we know about his mother and brother.

Anya is a child who is exposed to some of the darkness in Melinda / Demetrius' heads (trauma from being close to Donovan?), and she doesn't really understand them. Melinda / Demetrius seem off to outsiders (we saw Yor’s reaction, Becky thinks Demetrius is creepy) but it’s only Anya who’s capable of reading their minds and knowing how weird their thoughts are. But Anya has a much better understanding of Damian, the youngest Desmond, who is a kid like her with understandable motivations (getting stars, impressing his dad) similar to Anya's own motivations.

Interesting to note that Demetrius, while at Eden, seems rather lonely and disconnected even within his peer group. When he walks down the stairs, the panel frames it as him being alone, while Damian has four friends with him. When Damian and Anya get their stars, their classmates are shown to be smiling / impressed. When Demetrius gets his stars, we see two of his peers sweatdropping, almost looking wary, while a blushing girl has her hands to her mouth. The story doesn't show Demetrius' peers celebrating his success. It feels like Demetrius' peers are used to him getting good grades but still in awe of how good he is, but... they're not really close to him. Demetrius is not social and says he doesn't understand people, and maybe he doesn't interact much with his peers.

This chapter also reveals Demetrius is not in regular contact with Donovan anymore, contrary to what Damian believed. So Demetrius seems removed from the Desmond family sphere, but also isn't super integrated into the Eden sphere (in contrast to his 6yo brother and his friends). We can believe Demetrius isn’t close to Donovan because he is annoyed (and triggered?) by the mere mention of his father. Clearly Donovan has done something scarring to both Melinda and Demetrius and their thoughts look weird to Anya. Damian, despite craving for his father's attention and being stressed about it, is still relatively unaffected.

From now on, I think we'll slowly get more information about the Desmonds while Damian remains separated from them in the narrative. Damian is introduced as a vital part of Plan B due to his connection with his father, but even Damian himself admits there's not much of a connection. Plan B is working (sort of) because Damianya are friends, but that doesn't mean it's easier for Anya to meet Donovan. I think the narrative has been pushing Damian away from being a plot device for Plan B to being Anya's genuine friend and a victim of the Desmond parenting. At this point, Damian is not really useful to the main plot and there's not much mystery to this 6yo child.

Damian still thinks of himself as a scion of the Desmonds and he’s desperately trying to get his father’s attention. But his dad doesn’t really care, his mom loves him but doesn’t want him to be near Donovan, his brother is similar and also seemingly doesn’t want anything to do with Donovan. Meanwhile, the story establishes him as a boy with a crush on Anya, a boy with friends who will readily sacrifice themselves for him, a boy who’s willing to protect his classmates. All around Damain, his peers, associates, and the story itself has long been defining Damian as someone outside of being the Desmond family. But Damian naturally holds onto it.

Damian isn’t mysterious to Anya because she can read him. Okay, she still thinks he’s a brat sometimes, but that’s Damain being Damian, not Damian being a Desmond. But everyone else in the family is mysterious and it makes Anya feel at least vaguely uncomfortable.

The Desmonds are probably connected to Project Apple, and with the recent hints of Anya’s backstory, we might get some of that. But Damian is framed as almost completely separate to whatever went on, while Melinda and Demetrius are portrayed as victims of Donovan, mysterious and a bit weird but still sympathetic.

And that’s why I think it’s coming together— hints of Anya’s backstory, Damianya becoming better friends, the Desmonds all here. We’ve scratched the surface off and we’re hopefully going to see more.

(Also, just a thought: if Damian indeed goes through a “dark arc” and becomes more like the rest of his family, Anya will know because she can read his mind. She will be able to tell if Damian’s thoughts also start being “weird”. But they are better friends now which could be a lead up to her helping Damian deal with the pressure and struggle.)

[saberamane]

WWBFT UPDATES

So the next chapter will be posted this Friday (3-8) and the following chapter will be posted on Desmond's birthday (3-13), AND THEN we shall be going on a hiatus as I outline and write the last 'story arc'.

So what does this mean? We are nearing the 'end' of the main story, and so that everything flows correctly and has enough time to be adequately written and fleshed out, updates will be stopped I until have finished the story.

This is just so I can make sure the last chapters flow from one to the next in a manner that makes sense, chapters can be longer, and if things need to be changed I can do so without going back and changing an already published chapter.

This is not to say I won't be updating anything at all, though! While the main story is being finished, I will be publishing 2 side-stories! Everyone wanted to know just what Desmond got up to in Milan, and how exactly he went about murdering the Duke, so one side story will be a Desmond pov of those events.

And the second story is, of course, Clay and Federico 'celebrating' Federico's b-day. So another sexcapades installment.

Once the fic has been finished, I plan on posting the chapters twice weekly until finished, so that there's not too much time in between chapters as the story comes to its climax.

There will also be an epilogue, however this will be written and posted AFTER the fic has ended. So once the 'last' chapter has been posted, expect the epilogue in the following weeks.

I hope everyone is OK with this decision, and looking forward to the end I'd the fic.

Shit's about to go down...

[teecupangel]

What if the assassins were in Doom Eternal?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz8_a47OetM&pp=ygUUZG9vbSBzbGF5ZXIgZ2FtZXBsYXk%3D

I was contemplating if this should be a case of the Assassins meeting Doom Guy during the start of Doom Eternal or go for the Assassins having a very bad time in Mars all by themselves.

I think a full AU would be fun so Imma go with that XD

So, in this case, we’re going for the whole the main ‘past’ protagonists is integrated in the story.

Since we’re going for Doom Eternal instead of Doom (2016), we’re setting this up in Earth that is in the process of being overrun by the demons.

The Brotherhood would be a distant ally of the ARC with the Templars have, surprised, surprised, actually has NOT joined the Union Aerospace Corporation.

Because the Templars do not like the whole ‘yeah, we’re bowing down to demons’ bit.

But the Order of the Ancients does.

They believe they can gain power and the secret of the universe by siding with the demons.

So this is more of a case of the Brotherhood and the Templars having a bit of a… tense alliance to protect what remains of mankind.

And the funny part?

The Templars are the ones in power in ARC.

The story would be focused on Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton. Of course, if this was multichaptered, there would be chapters that focused on other POVs. Anyway, Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton would be part of a three-man squad and focuses on infiltration, sabotaging and assassination. Their main focus is getting as much information as possible to have an idea on what the demons would be planning next (or targeting next).

It’s during one of their missions that they find a sarcophagus that seemed to have been guarded tightly by demons. It opened during the fight and-

We’re bullying Desmond once more because Desmond is the one inside the sarcophagus. And he remembers his life before as Desmond Miles so he recognized the three who ‘saved’ him.

They escort him to Leonardo Da Vinci who is working as a scientist and doctor for the Brotherhood, fascinating by his tales of the Animus and his ancestors. Desmond is surprised to see that Shaun is actually Leonardo’s assistant and he doesn’t recognize Desmond. Nobody does.

The mentor of the Brotherhood who goes by the name Amunet tells the three to keep Desmond with them because he’s good (maybe even better) at freerunning and stealth. Desmond stresses that he’s only good because of his Bleeding Effect and he realized that Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton have a lot of room to grow. It seemed like he had met them during the time when they haven’t yet mastered being an Assassin.

So there’s bonding there and maybe Desmond acting like the unofficial ‘mentor’ of the three (not that anyone acknowledges it)

For the rest of the AC characters…:

Edward is one of the high ranking members of the Brotherhood and serves as a liaison between the Brotherhood and the Templars. He travels using a reinforced light tank called Jackdaw together with his second in command Adéwalé. Adéwalé is more or less the only thing keeping Edward from doing crazy shit that could get them killed.

Aveline is one of the leaders of the Brotherhood’s largest headquarters and is a member of the council together that directly takes orders from the mentor. She’s focused on making sure the Brotherhood has all the supplies they need to fight and survive and she mostly contact other surviving ‘organizations’ to trade with them. She’s close to her stepmother but learning she was a Templar has strained that relationship. They still keep in touch but they don’t talk about anything ‘work related’.

Shao Jun is an Assassin under her instructor, Wang Yangming, and seemed to be friends with Claudia Auditore. Whenever they meet, Ezio acts more like an older brother to her.

Nikolai is actually more of a rogue Assassin with his son and his nephew, Daniel Cross. They don’t talk to the Templars but they would assist the Brotherhood… for a price (usually food and supplies. The Brotherhood keeps telling them they always have a place with them but there are rumors that Nikolai had done something that the Russian Brotherhood didn’t like and had run away with his family before the whole demon invasion happened and that’s why he’s keeping to himself)

Arbaaz has gotten roped in becoming the Frye twins and Jayadeep’s supervisor. He’s part of the council as well and he has no idea how that happened. The death of his close friend Ethan Frye during the invasion has made him a bit protective of the twins.

Speaking of, the twins do not like Arbaaz’s overprotectiveness so they tend to go… their own way whenever they have a mission. Jayadeep gets roped into all of these because he’s worried about them………. Jacob may or may not have some kind of ‘it’s complicated’ romantic entanglement with the leader of the mercenary group known as the Blighters hired by the Templars, Captain Roth.

Arno… well… Arno has his own squad under Bellec’s command (the Assassins in the Unity trailer) and he’s one of the best Assassin in the field. Unfortunately, his relationship with the Templar Élise de la Serre makes some Assassins distrustful of him. The fact that Élise’s father died during the initial wave of the demon invasion because Arno was not able to give him an important report that could have saved his life has complicated their relationship, driving a wedge between them. Some believe Arno became an Assassin to ‘make it up’ to Élise who don’t want to see him. Some believe Arno became an Assassin to spy on the Brotherhood for her. Bellec’s support is one of the few things keeping him safe from those rumors.

Bayek is an Assassin who prefers to check the headquarters and help out. More like a nomad and it’s rumored that the mentor gave him free rein to do whatever he wanted. It seemed he lost his son during the second wave of demon invasion.

Kassandra and Eivor are in charge of their own mercenary group who is more or less allied with both the Templars and the Brotherhood. Alexios is Kassandra’s younger brother who she needs to keep an eye on because he gets to all sort of trouble.

Haytham Kenway is the Grand Master of the Templar Rites and everyone knows he’s Edward Kenway’s prodigal son. The Brotherhood doesn’t like him and his rise in the Order is the main reason why Edward left his seat as a council member of the Brotherhood (his seat is taken by Benedictor who commands two squads led by Aguilar (with María and Mateo) and Callum Lynch (with Lin and Mousa))

Shay Cormac is an Assassin turned Templar who is part of the main force. He works directly for Haytham Kenway and has his own tank named Morrigan. His secretary (sorta) goes by the codename Numbskull.

Maria Thorpe is part of the squad under Robert de Sablé and they serve as the main force against the demon invasion. She doesn’t like the mercenary group the Blighters and think Cesare should not be a leader at all but she keeps her mouth shut because it’s not her place. Robert de Sablé and Altaïr have an ‘if we didn’t have a truce, I would have killed you already’ thing going on.

Basim is… Basim. They know he’s an Assassin but he’s gone dark since before the demons invaded. Some believed he got his hands on a forbidden ‘artifact’ that makes him dangerous. Basim definitely has some kind of connections with the Sentinels and he called Desmond ‘Reader’ when they met. Desmond has no idea what he means by that and Basim seemed both interested in him and disappointed in him.

(Of course, the twist could be that, while we’re focusing on the AC characters here, Doom Guy is actually doing the Doom Eternal canon at the same time and the ending would be about him meeting up with the survivors after taking care of the Icon of Sin to help wipe out the remaining demons)

[hashtagdrivebywrites]

Hello, yes, howdy, welcome to...

✨Hashtag's Fic Masterlist✨

A little about me:

She/her pronouns

I write and sometimes make art

Here is my Ao3!

Asks are open! or you can drop me a message if you want to

I like ask games, but I might be late or accidentally lose track of them before I can respond to them (whoops!)

I'm into a lot of stuff so this blog/page/black hole will be a mixed bag of fandoms

[Updated June 28, 2024] - Fic links below:

Published, In Progress:

Imprint (DPxDC) (Baby G.K. Danny, Halfa Dad Jason, Fright Franklin Pickle Girl Knight, oddball co-parents, attempted qpr relationship) 6/28: In progress! <3 There's a lot happening so it needs some extra TLC before it's ready to post.

Meandros (AC: 3 x AC: Odyssey) (Time travel/Reincarnation, Kid Desmond, OC's, Deimos!Kassandra, dumb mercenaries with a big bro/dad complex, Desmond "I'm Done" Miles) 6/28: In progress <3 Will hopefully be a double update with Imprint!

Published, Complete:

As Long as Stars are Above You (TMNT (mostly Bayverse and Next Mutation)) (Family Fluff, Surprise Baby Acquisition, Good Big Bros, Momma April) 15 Chapters; 39k words; Sequel in progress

Our Mother Breathed Fire (GOT) (Dragon POV, kind of a character study? I don't know) 1 Shot; 2k words

Your Blood That I Bleed (AC 1, 2 & 3) (Family of Choice, Immortality, Cat Dad Desmond, Assassin Dads) 10 Chapters; 74k Words

"In The Drawer" - On Hiatus until I can give it the attention it needs:

A Place For Us (Batman (mostly Arkham Knight)) (Families of Choice, Kids, Adoption, Bat Fam coming back together) 4/12: My first fic on Ao3 and it's been set aside for a complete overhaul because there's no structure/direction and there's a lot of issues with how I was writing/presenting the characters.

Unpublished, In Progress:

And Longer Still If I Can - sequel to As Long As Stars Are Above You (TMNT) (Family and Found Family, Kid Fic, Adventure Fic, Larval Form Mutanimals) 6/28: On pause!

Red Devil Rowdy (title may change; DPxDCxSDxSPN) (Paranormal Mystery/Detective Fic, Family Reveal, Identity Reveal) 6/28: In progress <3 Drafting the first five chapters before posting!

And Still You Stand, Sturdy and Smelling of Smoke (DC x Spider-man) (Peter Parker Fist Fights the League, Catatonic Jason, Hyper Independent Tim) 6/28: On pause!

[I do What I do Best] Because I'm Illing and Able! (title may change; DSxTMNT) (Time Travel, Older Turtles (21), Mom Friend April, Gratuitous Use of "Bro", "Dude" and "Yo") 6/28: Renamed (maybe? lmfao); Five chapters drafted and being edited! Will be published in the same update w/ Imprint 13 and Meandros 13!

Holy War is On The Phone (DPxMHA/BNHA) (Ghost Prince Danny, Undercover Investigation, Fake Family, Pissed Off Danny) 6/28: On pause!

Redline (DCxMHA/BNHA) (Robin!Jason, Jason has the Metagene, Accidental Dimension Travel, Pro-Heroes/Older Class 1-A) 6/28: On pause! (Recently fallen head over heels into a Star Wars hyperfixation, which has naturally spawned a bunch of WIP's of its own, so expect some content soon (6/28))

[theconfusedartist]

Before Penn Station [permutation 1] Ch. 3

Hey guys! I bet you weren't expecting this to be a double chapter post, did you?! This was the reason I was delaying so both would come out at the same time. This is the chapter where I do my best to relay something funky going on with the PoVs and all. Here's the chapter under the cut!

Chapter 3: Desmond (???) PoV

Arriving in Brooklyn was never something Desmond had to worry about.

While Altaïr was able to that Fast Forwarding Memory thing, so long as Desmond was next to a train, bus, car, or physically standing next to or nearby plane, boat, or multi-structural vehicle he could fast travel. It wasn't always safe, since it meant there was a chance that someone could see him disappearing into thin air, but in Manhattan, so long as you didn't catch people's attention, they didn't give a shit.

From the homeless people that gathered under bridges, families walking in Central Park or on sidewalks, people wearing all different clothing on every corner-

There was such a visual feast for the eyes at any given moment that people rarely took notice of a lone stranger suddenly disappearing at the top of a building or in a back alley. Why should they?

Even so, there was always a chance that someone could be watching, and Desmond hadn't managed to stay hidden from Assassin and Templar eyes for so long by not being cautious. There was a second way to get around via teleporting, but it was a bit tricky, as there had to be an exact copy of a marking on the place where he was going. Or there had to be someone/thing there that would serve as an anchor.

"The best way to get around is by horse." Altaïr lectures. "They're steady companions, wise fighters, and should you take care of them, they'll in turn take care of you."

For whatever reason, Desmond and Altaïr rarely ever read the notes in front of them on screen when they fast traveled and preferred to talk to each other instead. Ah, well. They'd learn it eventually.

'Is that why you swear by صديق being the best horse ever?' Desmond asks as he sits down in lotus position, pulling out a map of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and focuses on the apartment block labeled 'Eli'.

Which was really cute, but if he was reading the notes he wouldn't need to use anything that could possibly be used as evidence, but that's fine.

"Obviously." Altaïr retorts. "And don't think I haven't noticed you just grabbing any random horse to hide when you need to suddenly travel far distances, either."

Desmond shrugs at Altaïr's jab and concentrates on the spot he wants to go, imagining sitting on the roof and recalling all the little details that he could, holding the image in his head.

With a sharp 'pop' noise and a metallic tinkle, Desmond had left the island of Manhattan for it's sister Brooklyn. Tucking his maps back in his backpack, Desmond made sure his grappling hook was well connected to the ledge before rappelling down the side of the roof, making his way down to Elijah's window. 'I never tried to hide the face that I travel by horse, I just think it would be nice to get around using a motorcycle. Much faster.'

Altaïr scoffs in disbelief but goes silent once Desmond makes it to Elijah's room, the fourth window on the row of the eighth floor, Elijah had decorated the outside of his window frame with spaceships and stars so Desmond would see it. Following the protocol they set up, Desmond knocks once on the glass, three times on the frame, once on the pane, then twice on the glass again.

There was a rustling behind the cobalt black out curtains, a thud then they were thrown open to reveal Elijah, whose blue-brown eyes glowed with excitement. "Dad! You're here!"

Desmond smiles widely at Elijah, hopping into the room from the window and unlatching his grappling hook just in time as Elijah's patience runs out and he full on tackles his Dad. Elijah wore a huge happy smile as Desmond's arms tightened around his waist. "I stayed in my room all morning waiting for you and Daddy. What took you so long?"

Desmond presses a kiss to Elijah's head, then mentally steps aside so Altaïr can do the same, giving him a second squeeze before setting Elijah down. "Sorry for the wait, Eli. We had a few incidents at the bar again."

Elijah scrunches up his nose, his long black braids swinging as he asks- "Was it Alex again?"

Before Desmond can respond, Altaïr takes control to answer a hissed, "Yes. And your Dad was too nice to just throw him out on his ass like I suggested."

Desmond rolls his eyes, feeling Altaïr separate from him, his entire body feeling kinda floaty as their mass was split into two, irritated with doing the body-switch with Altaïr. If he was going to get bitchy then he could be in his own body. They were used to the body-switch and body-separation technique. After all, it was how he was even able to use his own body, having practiced taking control of Altaïr for years before he was even comfortable enough to walk as a toddler. It took too many embarrassing years for him to figure out what the buttons and controls were to move his body. "Your Daddy is just fed up with him is all-Alex isn't that bad, just intense is all."

Elijah pouts, "If he keeps you from coming here on time, then he's just as bad as Daddy says he is!"

Ignoring Altaïr's smugness, Desmond picks Elijah into his arms before sitting on his bed tiredly, "Enough about Alex. What've you been up to, Buddy?"

Elijah's eyes light up and he lets the topic pass as he launches into his own tale. "Well, yesterday Aunt Cara took Mira, Laila, me, and Hassan to the park and I caught a whole slug!"

Elijah wriggles out of Desmond's arms to rifle through a pile of brightly colored construction paper until he brings back a small stack and sits on the bed next to him. He holds up a picture of a bright yellow slug in a puddle of blue drawn with crayons, "I drew a picture of Sally the slug, see? And this is a picture of you, me, and Daddy-" Elijah holds up a picture he drew of himself in the middle with two blob figures wearing white hoods. "-that we made yesterday when Aunt Cara told us to draw our families."

Desmond holds the pictures carefully, tracing his hand over Elijah's depiction of their family, before setting it down in his lap.

"Mira 'n me had a rock-skipping contest too! I won of course." Elijah says proudly.

Desmond huffs a laugh, "Good job, Eli. Although, I'm surprised that Laila didn't join you guys."

Elijah's smile dims ans he kicks his feet, "...Laila's family came to pick her up while we were at the park. They all went home together, so Mira 'n me played by ourselves."

Desmond presses a kiss to the top of Elijah's head, "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" He holds up Elijah's pictures. "And I was thinking this is some great art, Buddy. Whaddya say we hand it up on the wall?"

Elijah brightens, bouncing on the bed, "Yeah! I wanna put it up there!"

Snagging the tape Desmond kept in his backpack, he stuck some on the corners before handing the art pieces back to Elijah and lifting him up to the wall next to his bed. "Where should we put this piece, then?"

The wall to the side and behind Elijah's bed is covered in Elijah's drawings, his absolute favorites were in the small night stand next to his bed, the top covered in all the colorful rocks and pieces of string he'd picked up. Desmond lifts Elijah onto his shoulders, smiling as Altaïr pulls away from his mind to be fully present in the split-mass body, his body shimmering a slight silver. Elijah debates where to put the drawing, swinging his legs with excitement, then points to a space between a space between a drawing of a room full of plants and a picture of the three of them back when they first came to Manhattan the previous year in August. "Right here, Dad!"

Desmond dutifully tapes up the image with a smile as Altaïr rearranges the pictures around it so nothing would be covered by it. The picture hung proudly in the center of all the others, various pieces of snapshots from their older apartments and hidey-holes. More than 7 of the pieces featured a fourth blob with yellow for hair and a big cheesy grin.

"How's it look, Elijah?" Altaïr asks.

"Great!" Elijah extends his arms out to Altaïr, who easily obliges and holds him on his ghostly shoulders. "When is Uncle Clay coming back?"

Desmond shoots Altaïr a worried look, but Altaïr keeps his face hidden under his white cowl. Elijah yanks it off Altaïr's head and starts to trace the long scar on the back of his skull, still kicking his legs. "He started his training last year, right? He should be done by now!" Elijah pouts, laying his chin on Altaïr's head. "We haven't seen him in so long..."

"Clay has been unavailable these last five months." Desmond tells Elijah honestly, unwilling to keep him in the dark his Father Will Al Mualim the Mentor had, back when he and Altaïr had lived in their formative years with the man. "The last I heard from him, he'd told me he'd be going through his final training with Al Mualim, before undertaking his first mission."

Thankfully for Desmond, it's Altaïr who speaks, "He wouldn't tell us the mission, not over a phone line. Too risky. As for when we'll see him, he told he'd come visit once his mission was complete."

Desmond doesn't say anything. He knows just as well as Altaïr that, with the way the Order was run, your first mission could very well be your last. Death was considered an 'occupational hazard' by Al Mualim William the current Mentor, which mean that loved ones or close friends were usually the last ones to know about a death.

Yet another reason why so many people defected from the Order to the Brotherhood, or switched sides to the Templars altogether. Every single assassin that decided to associate with the Order, whether they were assassins the traditional sense or belief, was precious and should be trated with care.

Unfortunately, Al Mualim didn't agree.

"...we simply have to have faith, Elijah. Faith that he'll return to us safe and in one piece." Desmond says. Because what was the core of being an Assassin, truly, if it wasn't for their belief and faith in others?

Altaïr, reading his thoughts, nods silently. "It's not the skill or training that makes the assassin, but rather one's ideology."

Elijah wrinkled his nose, "I don't really get it, but what you're saying is as long as we believe in Uncle Clay, he'll come back?"

"No, Elijah. You have to believe in the hope that he will come back. That's all we can do. That doesn't mean he actually will. But it's all we have."

"I still don't get it." Elijah scowls, "But we basically won't see him for even longer. Great."

"Elijah-"

"I don't wanna hear it, Dad!" Elijah yells. "I wanna talk about something else!"

A sharp knock at the door, "Elijah!" It's the caretaker, Cara. "What's going on in there?!"

"Hello Cara!" Desmond calls out to her, "I was saying hello to Elijah, I'll be out in a minute."

A grumble is heard outside outside the door, accompanied by heavy footsteps, then Cara leaves. Desmond frowns but quickly trades it in for a neutral expression. "Elijah, I know you're not happy about the situation, but that's all we can do right now." Elijah keeps scowling and Desmond sighs. "I'm going to go talk to Cara, Altaïr will stay with you."

Giving Elijah one more glance, Desmond walks out of the room with more poise than he actually feels. Cara is waiting for him at the bottom of the steps, her mouth pinched into a tight frown as she taps her foot impatiently. Desmond plasters on a smile and does his best to ignore the pit in his stomach, "Hello Cara. Did you need something?"

"I don't know, Eric, why the hell else would I be waiting for you, when I have better things to be doing?"

He doesn't flinch, he doesn't. "To enjoy my charming company...? I truly don't know what the problem might be. I've paid what owe for last week and I'm prepared to pay for this next week-"

"Oh, I'll take the money, but that isn't what this is about." Cara snaps.

"Then...what has you in such a foul mood?" He doesn't fidget as the aggrieved silence lingers on. Who'd have thought all that the assassin training would be useful in a situation like this?

"I wasn't able to get in tough with you on Thursday. All the other children's parents were able to pick up their children, but since you don't have a phone number, there was no way for me to reach you. Do you understand what you've cost me?"

"No..." Desmond replies warily, "However, I did inform you of this before I left Elijah in your care."

"I don't give a damn about your situation, your paranoia, or whatever else it is you have going on, Eric! I had a date planned on Thursday and because of whatever hang-ups you have, I was forced to cancel it and spend it here with your Elijah!"

Desmond straightens, eyes hardening, "Cara, I'm sorry that you missed your date but I hope you didn't treat Elijah any differently because of this."

"Oh, he was fucking fine and dandy." Cara hisses. "I gave him some pizza and made him stay in his room."

"I'll be checking with Elijah to see if you what you're saying is true. However, I warned you beforehand that I wouldn't always be available, I've paid your increasing fees without complaint. If this set up doesn't work, I'll take Elijah somewhere."

"Hmph, you don't need to do that, but you do need to get a phone. What if something happens?" Cara says with a scowl.

"Like you missing a date?" Desmond asks sarcastically. "Look, I pick up Elijahon Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll take him somewhere else."

Desmond gives her a small irate nod and walks upstairs to Elijah and Altaïr, before he gives into his impulses and says something that he might regret. Elijah looks calmer, sitting in Altaïr's lap on his bed as he writes something down, Altaïr idly stroking his hand through dark curls.

Elijah's blue-brown eyes look aat Desmond once the door closes, "What did Aunt Cara say?"

Desmond has no doubt that Elijah was listening to try and catch the entire conversation, but he refuses to withhold information they way Al Mualim his Father William had. "Aunt Cara was upset she couldn't reach me and she had to miss her date on Thursday. Did she...treat you any differently because of it?"

Elijah wrinkles his nose, "No, She just ordered a pizza, turned on the TV and left." Elijah shrugs, "I was alone for the night and I didn't see her until I came back from school on Friday."

'Friday?!' Desmond thinks. 'What's her damn problem?! What if something happened?!'

"Elijah's smart." Altaïr says, and Elijah preens under the praise, "If anything would've happened, he would've called me and we would've have been at his side faster than he could start crying."

"Yeah, Dad, I'm super smart!" Elijah crows. "That's why the bad guys never find me when you have to fight them off!"

Desmond rubs at the back of his neck, "I know, I know. Doesn't stop me from worrying though." He kneels down, not getting on the bed because he still has his outdoor clothes on, and hugs Elijah tightly. Elijah hugs back, his fingers digging into Desmond's neck, and Alta��r leans down to hug them both, Desmond being partially lifted from his position by the strength of it. After a few minutes, Desmond pulls away to start peppering Elijah's face with kisses smiling as Elijah giggles-Altaïr drops a kiss on both of their heads with a fond smile.

Once their impromptu cuddle session ends, Desmond leans back with a smile. "Well, I'm staying with you until it's time for bed, then I'll be back tomorrow for the day as well. So, we'll do whatever it is you wanna do today."

Elijah smiles harder in return, kicking his legs and leaning into the shared embrace of Altaïr and Desmond, "Then I wanna go over to your apartment, and you can make breakfast."

Desmond laughs, eyes sparkling with affection, "Any requests?"

"New York cheesecake pancakes with lemon and strawberries." Elijah says without hesitation, "And scrambled veggie eggs! With cheese please!"

He feels rather than sees Altaïr give the other half of his mass back, feeling his organs shift oddly back into place, as he lifts Elijah into his lap. He sits cross-legged on the floor, his body starting to glow. "Of course, anything for you, my little miracle."

----------->

Author's Notes: Altaïr and Desmond are living their lives concurrently, as of right now Desmond is 28 (since his age was adjusted by a couple of years) and Altaïr is ~2 years older. As of right now, although he's met Maria, they haven't had any children yet. Desmond likes to take on all the jobs at Bad Weather either as a bartender, a dancer (of which there are many kinds), or the risky jobs. He's quite reckless and while Altaïr tries to get him to be a bit smarter about things, he doesn't really have much ground to stand on since he does the same things, but he does judge his romantic life hard af. Desmond and Altaïr are able to have conversations mentally with very little time passing between the responses, but when they're out of sync things get very hard for the person to think, more on Desmond's end than Altaïr's.

[unearthlytwilight]

24E. oh boy we're really in it now

important: implied animal cruelty. if that makes you uncomfy, skip this one. if not, all aboard for part one of the fetch quest!

Eliwood and friends infiltrate Bern castle and... hide in a bush. I'm imagining a Scooby-Doo-esque head stack

Desmond tells her to go play, then gets pissed at Zephiel for being a loving brother. he accuses him of wanting to see Guinevere dead and tells him and Murdock to fuck off. classic Desmond *laugh track*

Sonia shows up and helpfully exposits on the Fire Emblem's location. nice. she senses someone but Desmond says "don't worry it's my kid", which is convenient. anyway, she leaves

Guinevere is upset that Zephiel is gone. Desmond, in a rare display of non-jackassery, offers to play with her, but she declines.

(one reason I love these GBA cutscenes is that the portraits move left/right across the screen easily, making them more dynamic. above, Desmond moves closer to Guinevere and she backs away from him. it reflects action in a way you just don't get with models)

anyway, Guinevere goes to find Zephiel and gives Desmond her baby fox to hold. I think we all know where this is going

Desmond does love his daughter, but it doesn't make him any better. usually you see "oh the villain has a loved one" as easy sympathy points, but not here. kinda refreshing

cut to the lords discussing how bad the situation is. they decide to bounce, and then we cut to Ninian and Nils outside. Ninian is worried because they've been in there for a while

you're a little late, Nils, they got their A last chapter. also, rare Ninian exclamation point

they get surprised by this lady, Vaida, who they can't sense because something something Nergal did it. she's looking for the two, and the lords catch up and call her a lackey. honestly hilarious

Vaida says nuh-uh and tells her troops to attack.

side note: there's a well-known exploit known as the "mine glitch", where if you close the game when a mine goes off and then input a series of buttons, you can control enemies. Vaida's spear is coded to give its wielder big stat buffs. guess what people do

the combat's not so bad. there are wyvern reinforcements near the shops in the top right, but otherwise it's definitely manageable

but before we get to that, Pent and Louise join! Pent gives us a Heaven seal, used to promote Hector or Lyn.

Eliwood, you gotta believe in yourself. do I have to come over there

pov: you're a castle guard and see this shit happening five feet away

apparently [tactician] is famous in Bern. nice little personal detail

Hector gets the promotion because he capped strength. Heath also caps strength. who even needs the Vaida spear

sage crit! Pent says there can only be one

(somewhere, Priscilla and Erk got their B. Priscilla gets jealous of Erk because his previous employer was a lady, but Erk is all "oh god no I hate her." meh. at least this one has characterization? 5/10)

the bottom-left village has a hammerne staff from ...Ursula. surprised? me, too. Sain I don't think she's girlfriend material

anyway! after 11 turns, Vaida decides she's had enough of this and peaces out. Eliwood and the gang follow her, courtesy of Lyn

Lyn and Hector really do have that sitcom frenemy relationship

next time: we spy on the spies and figure out really obtuse character select requirements!

[vivacissimx]

Hiii!. Hope you're doing well.

I Have a swallow songs prompt to add drama, of sorts.

I guessed Vis is pregnant in 98AC? The same year Jaehaerys 50ty year of reign is celebrated. Which is written as a grand celebration. Lords from all over came, which would likely include Manderly. I would love to see that special someone's (😉) reaction to that?, of sorts. As well as interactions between Baelon, Viserra and Desmond. And maybe even Baelon telling Desmond he knows.

~XOXO, an admirer 😘😚😘😚

Anyways, take care. Stay hydrated.

i am very well thx, same to you!

okay listen—you guys need to make up your minds on this desmond guy 💀 cause EVERY TIME i put up a little twitter poll about what mini fic i should write next, i always include his POV as an option, and he always comes last. so do you want him or not!!!! AHHH okay i'm calm again.

anyway, desmond & the North in general is actually a subject of some chapters in love doesn't live here part II (tentatively 'under a lilac tree' after the nina simone song) so i probably won't seriously grapple with his feelings about the Baby, or with viserra and baelon's feelings about Him, until then... however a swallowsongs chapter of her white harbor departure from his POV is in the cards. one day. hopefully.

[ao3feed-damianya]

Anya's Suitor

READ HERE

by Muflihati

Anya said she wanted to introduce him to his parents on Friday of next week. They just didn't say who, and Loid had nothing but failure in trying to find out who it was.

"I wonder who Anya is going to introduce us to?" asked Yor as he sliced the cucumber. "Maybe it's a... suitor."

Loid lost his heart and when he heard Yor greet Damian, his soul fled far away from his body.

However, perhaps he could be a good son...

Words: 1435, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: SPY x FAMILY (Manga), SPY x FAMILY (Anime)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Anya Forger, Damian Desmond, Bond (SPY x FAMILY)

Relationships: Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Anya Forger & Loid Forger | Twilight & Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Damian Desmond/Anya Forger, Damian Desmond & Loid Forger | Twilight & Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Damian Desmond & Loid Forger | Twilight, Damian Desmond/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess

Additional Tags: Mentioned Becky Blackbell, Time Skips, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Misunderstandings, Loid almost died of a panic attack, "Look we have a son now Loid", POV Loid Forger | Twilight, Parent Loid Forger | Twilight, Protective Loid Forger | Twilight, Good Parent Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess, Aged Up Anya Forger, Aged Up Damian Desmond, There's already 35 volumes of Spy Wars, No Beta, Minor Damian Desmond/Anya Forger

2022-07-05T22:02:40Z

[michelles-garden-of-evil]

Shadow Over Seventh Heaven Review, Part I: Last Night I Dreamt I Went to Maljardin Again

Once, April Tennant had been the greatest screen star of all. Even now that this stunning creature was gone, the victim of a hideous accident, her name still cast a magic glow. And nowhere was her haunting spell more alive than within her great walled estate of San Rafael.

It was here that April had lived in her storybook marriage with famed actor Richard Morgan. It was here that her memory was worshipped still. And it was here that lovely young Jenny Summers came as Richard Morgan's new bride--to discover the terror behind the tinsel in this place transformed from a paradise of the living to a hell of the undead.... (inside front cover)

Welcome, fellow Strangers and all others who happen upon this post. This week, I have decided to begin a new series exploring the Gothic novels written by co-creator and first headwriter of Strange Paradise, Ian Martin, under the pen name Joen Arliss. Mostly, the purpose of this series will be to compare the plot and characters of Strange Paradise and those of his novels and what that may indicate about his original intentions for the overarching story of the soap opera.

I got the idea to start this series while writing my review of Episode 26, after the contents of an article referenced in one of the scenes reminded me of the events in this book. On his now-defunct website Maljardin.com, Curt Ladnier covered some of the similarities between “Here Goes the Bride,” the CBS Radio Mystery Theater drama from which this book was adapted, and Strange Paradise, but I wanted to dive deeper and do one of my characteristic overanalyses. So fly with me to the grand southwestern estate of San Rafael and together let’s explore Shadow Over Seventh Heaven--and let me warn you, there will be spoilers for the entire Maljardin arc of SP.

As noted above, Shadow Over Seventh Heaven is an adaptation of a radio drama that Martin wrote for CBS Radio Mystery Theater. CBSRMT is, perhaps unquestionably, Ian Martin’s most famous work. Created by Himan Brown in 1974 and running for 1,399 nightly episodes, Martin wrote a total of 243 (including many adaptations of literary classics) and acted in 255, typically in supporting roles. He continued writing and acting on the series all the way until his death in 1981 at the age of 69. Given my tendency to procrastinate, which sometimes makes it difficult to write just one episode review a week even when I’m not busy, I envy him for being such a prolific writer. I suspect that all the soap scripts he wrote got him into the habit, and he just couldn’t break it.

Even more extraordinary is that he wrote and published five novels during the same period that he worked on CBSRMT. His first was Nightmare’s Nest (1979), an adaptation of the CBSRMT play “The Deathly White Man” (and not the other drama, also by him, of the same name), which is his answer to Jane Eyre and which also has some interesting connections with SP which I plan to explore in another review series. Next came this novel, and then Beloved Victim (1981), adapted from “A Lady Never Loses Her Head,” which I don’t recall having anything noteworthy in common with SP, but I may need to re-read it to make sure. He also wrote two mystery novels, The Shark Bait Affair and The Ladykiller Affair, for the Zebra Mystery Puzzler series, but those are both very rare now and I haven’t yet read either, so I can’t say anything about them. The book Mystery Women: An Encyclopedia of Leading Women Characters in Mystery Fiction does, however, provide some information on their protagonist, Kate Graham, along with short plot summaries. As someone with two trunk novels from the last decade and about fifty pages of a third--which I mostly stopped working on after I started this blog--I also envy him for this. How on Earth did he find the time?

But I digress. Like that of “Here Goes the Bride,” the plot of Shadow Over Seventh Heaven draws heavy inspiration from Daphne du Maurier’s famous Gothic romance Rebecca, but with some major differences in plot and characterization. The novel fleshes out the radio drama some more, adding additional details and plot twists that aren’t present in the original play, which arguably make it more interesting. One gets the impression that he had a lot of story in mind while he penned the original drama, but knew he could only squeeze so much into a 45-minute radio play and so had to leave many of the most interesting details out.

But that’s enough background information. Let’s begin our analysis and see what Ian Martin’s later work can tell us about his original intentions for Strange Paradise.

Introduction

The face is lovely, matchless....

Opening like some gigantic and exotic flower as the camera zooms in...

It fills the screen, flawless, enticing....

The lower lip glistens, pulled away from those perfect teeth, trembling ever so slightly, promising undreamed-of delights for the man brave enough to taste its forbidden fruit....

The skin glows with an inner light....

The eyes beyond the thick fringe of dark eyelashes shimmer with the deep violet of a tropical night....

The pitiless exposé of the camera is defeated, no matter how close it probes in close-up....

This is beauty without blemish....

This is everyman's dream woman--sex symbol of the nation, and most of the world....

This is April Tennant!

Strange to think of her dead, for on the screen she is captured forever in all her vibrancy and stunning beauty....

Impossible to think of her lying, mangled and bleeding on the rocks, while the hungry sea licks out as if to possess her.

Incredible to think of her cold and in the grave. Which she has been for twelve months--or this story never would have begun (p. 5).

The first page of the novel introduces us to April Tennant, this novel’s Rebecca and also its Erica Desmond. Like Rebecca, she is the first wife of the protagonist’s love interest, whose tragic death will cast a shadow over her former estate. Like Erica, she was a famous actress--probably more so than Erica ever was--but the cause of her death is not the same as the alleged cause of Erica’s. In Episode 5 of Strange Paradise, Erica’s grieving husband Jean Paul claims that she died of eclampsia while pregnant with their son, although evidence uncovered by other characters in later episodes leads them to contest that claim. Instead, April’s death resembles that of Huaco, the wife of Jean Paul’s ancestor Jacques Eloi des Mondes who died when she fell from a cliff on Maljardin, Jacques’ island estate.

In this introduction, we also see what will become a theme of the novel: gaze. Not just the male gaze--the obvious POV of the introduction--but, more generally, the viewing of April Tennant almost exclusively through the eyes of other characters, both male and female. We never learn much about her inner life, even as we learn those of Jenny (our protagonist), Richard, and others. April is largely a mystery, a larger-than-life figure of ideal beauty who, in the eyes of the public, is more a legend than she is flesh and blood. It’s the same mystique that surrounds celebrities in real life that often makes other people forget that they, too, are human--if, indeed, that’s what April was. Or is there more to it? I guess we’ll have to find it.

Chapter 1

The first chapter begins with a detailed description of San Rafael--and by detailed, I mean that Ian Martin spends one and a half pages describing its wall, followed by two on the mansion itself. I won’t type out too many passages from this book for copyright reasons--for, unlike Strange Paradise, this book is still under copyright--but I will include some highlights. The wall surrounding the castle “was thick enough at the bottom to withstand any tremor of the California earth...topped by a corona of jagged broken glass and it ran for a mile and three-quarters in a great semicircle away from the rocky Pacific coast and back to it again” (p. 6). On its gate,

The ironwork swept and swirled in great balanced curlicues, and the frame was heavy and studded. The studs held great sheets of blackened steel, heavy enough to withstand a battering ram, blocking any vision of the grounds the wall concealed. And the vertical members of the scrollwork reared high above the frame of the door and the top of the wall in a bristling array of spikes, sharp as swords, arched forward to further discourage any hardy trespasser who might try to climb their height (pp. 6-7).

In case you haven’t already figured it out, Martin loved his purple prose. If you don’t like Byzantine descriptions of architecture, ironwork, clothing, or anything else, you probably shouldn’t read this book or any of Martin’s other novels. (Nightmare’s Nest is far purpler, however, than this one. There’s an entire chapter in there devoted to describing the protagonist’s lush Edwardian finery.) Fortunately for me, I love this kind of thing and will gladly devour description after description of gates covered in iron curlicues. My literary tastes tend toward “more is more” and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

We learn that San Rafael is a reconstruction of an old Spanish mission, commissioned by April and built in part by Richard himself, “who personally took charge of putting in all the glass that fronted on the sea.” The gardens that surround it give it “a riot of color--bougainvillea, hibiscus, passionflowers, trumpet vines--all enhanced and set off against the majesty of rows of carefully spaced Italian cedar, or Lombardy poplar” (pp. 7-8).

Despite all this radiant beauty--and as one might expect for reconstructed ruins from the era of Spanish colonialism--the estate is believed to be cursed, at least by “the superstitious peons who built the walls” (p. 9).  (That’s what the book uncharitably describes the Mexican builders--some parts of this book haven’t aged well, as you will see.) Two men died while rebuilding it, followed by April herself around a decade later.

Surprisingly, we learn at the end of this chapter that Richard Morgan’s background differs from that of Jean Paul Desmond. An actor himself, he “was king of the theater, and of East Coast entertainment. Their marriage was a royal one, and it vaulted both of them to new and undreamed-of heights of popularity” (pp. 9-10). It was this popularity that drove them to wall themselves in at San Rafael and use the police and guard dogs to keep rabid fans and paparazzi away--which, ultimately, didn’t work and only led to “a new wave of interest and snooping” (p. 10).

Chapter 2

Here we meet Richard’s sister Lisa, who is...well...quite an interesting character. She’s a beautiful woman with short hair, a deep voice, and--most importantly--an unusual, creepy level of attachment to her brother.

Cersei Lannister Lisa Morgan.

Lisa has just received a phone call from the Philippines where her brother is. The call has left her “literally stunned” (p. 11), which means that the modern slang meaning of “literally” dates back 30+ years longer than I thought. Surprisingly, she isn’t drinking wine to calm her nerves like Cersei above, but that’s her loss.

As she gazes at the ocean to the west, her housekeeper, Conchita Aguilar,  enters. Chita (as she is usually called) has not just worked as April’s housekeeper for most of her life, but also "she and her husband, Juan, had quite literally brought up April” (p. 13); as a result, she is fiercely loyal to the family of her deceased mistress. Here is a portrait of her:

Looking at the tiny woman with her bright button eyes, the black Indian hair swept stiffly away from her face, parted in the middle and tidily put away in a tight bun low on the back of her neck, Lisa was surprised at the sudden urge to go and take this familiar person in her arms--or better still have Chita take her in hers.[...]Chita might be tiny, but she was all steel and whipcord (p. 13).

Sound familiar?

Yes, Chita bears a resemblance to our beloved Raxl. They even have a similar background, for Raxl, too, comes from a people indigenous to Mexico, according to Episode 23.  Like Raxl, Chita is very old and has a mysterious magnetism that draws some people to her (which, in Raxl’s case, includes me). There are some minor differences--Chita doesn’t worship the Great Serpent, she uses gratuitous Spanish instead of gratuitous French, she has a living husband and grandson--but they are, in most ways, the same character. It’s clear that Ian Martin didn’t want to part with Raxl, and I don’t blame him one bit.

Also, for whatever reason, he was oddly insistent on both of them having a specific hairstyle. If you read the original script for the show’s pilot, you will see that he was almost as specific about Raxl’s hairstyle, mentioning “her hair tightly drawn over her ears to a small bun,” but less detailed about those of the other characters. Just an odd detail that probably bears little significance, but that I noticed.

Lisa tells Chita that Richard is on his way home with a new wife, a young, very wealthy orphan named Jenny Summers whom he met in the Philippines. This angers the ancient housekeeper, who argues that Jenny can never come to San Rafael

Because there is no place for her here--en la casa de La Señora! Everything here is hers--she still lives here, and will always live here. Her perfume is in every room, her pictures are everywhere, every ornament and ashtray and book I keep just the way she last touched it. There is no room for any other wife here! Oh, she will feel it, she will know it, because La Señora would never permit another woman to take her place (p. 16)!

Lisa insists that, despite the risk that Jenny won’t want to live on the estate and despite her equal displeasure about the situation, Chita keep an open mind regarding her and try not to be such a Mrs. Danvers about the situation. (OK, so she doesn’t actually say the last part; that’s just my paraphrase.) She also tries to pressure Chita into helping her take down the mementos of April at Richard’s orders, which she objects to, both for sentimental reasons and because they don’t have time to have the enormous fresco of April that adorns the former chapel. (Symbolism!)

“It was a breathless and yet terrible beauty. For any woman who stood next to it had to be eclipsed” (p. 20).

Yes, you read that right: they rededicated the mission’s former chapel to the silver screen sex goddess April Tennant. After their wedding, Richard had a giant fresco of her painted there in place of its former altar. This is a clear indication that one or more of the people in this household worship April, whether literally or figuratively. More than that, the portrait glows like that of THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES, and seems, like Jacques’ portrait, to be alive, the living essence of a dead person. “Most haunting of all was the feeling that this was the woman--that she could not have died, that any moment she would step off the wall, and her silver laughter would fill the house again (p. 20).”

I’m sorry, Jacques. ;)

Coming up next: Jenny arrives at San Rafael and tries to adjust to living on an estate where almost everyone but Richard acts like they hate her.

{ Next: Part II -> }

[allstorystory]

(ᴍᴇʀᴄɪʟᴇss ɪɴ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ) 👁️👁️👁️ . 📘📘📘 Chapter 34

(ᴍᴇʀᴄɪʟᴇss ɪɴ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ) 👁️👁️👁️ . 📘📘📘 Chapter 34

👮 👮 👮 👮 👮 M•Ï•A͙👮 👮 👮 👮 👮 . 👁️👁️👁️ . 📝📝📝 Written by: Seunnzzy . . . Desmond’s POV (Evening) . I gather my things into the bag and take some files with me as I won’t be resuming the office the next day. The ASP has gotten the falsified ID I asked for with my picture on it and also with a different name. I took my bag and went out and I bade goodbye to the officers and move towards my car. ” Are…

[teecupangel]

Alright.

To... ensure that no one gets surprised by me suddenly posting a lot of fics all in one go (which is my modus operandi at this time)

THE NEXT BIG UPLOAD IS ON DECEMBER 21, 2022.

Estimated posting time: around 3 to 4 AM EST.

That's a Wednesday. If you have any pending deadlines (I'm not naming anyone but, if you feel attacked, my words are full of affection and fondness, I swear), please take note.

This big upload will compose of:

The final chapter of Zero Eclipse (approx word count: 29k - I'll see if I can make it 30k but no promises can now confirm, it is now 30k)

A oneshot featuring all AC mcs getting interviewed for a political marriage with Desmond (AltDes endgame) (approx word count: 21k)

A mini-sequel/side-story to the Tentacle Demon AU AltDes set on Altaïr's POV (approx word count: 14k)

2 non-AltDes Desmond-focused short smuts (approx word count: 2.5k + 3.5k)

Please prepare accordingly.

(Edit 12/13: added links to Zero Eclipse and fiat; updated Zero Eclipse approx word count)

[theconfusedartist]

ok, so

there’s two posts I’m gonna be making for the assassin’s creed rewrite au. one which is just a long post about how the Toba catastrophe happened in the rewrite, as well as some supplementary info about the PoEs and why Desmond was chosen for his specific role.

and the actual chapter I’ve been vaguing about all this time. tbh, it’s not going to be the full chapter, just about 30 pages worth simply bc I realized that in striving for perfection, i wasn’t actually making any more posts about protocreed bc i didn’t either want to spoil anything or get people’s hopes up. but. the chapter ends when Desmond and Alex part ways, rather than when Desmond goes back to pick up Elijah like it was originally meant to, as it transitions a lot better into the next chapter which is in Alex’s PoV

honestly, I was making an assassin’s creed only rewrite before I got back into prototype but it was ideas from the wonderful @teecupangel @wolfofartblock and @neroangelus that made me rethink my entire rewrite to make it protocreed (as well as the art and fic that they had on their blogs that made me feel less like i was going crazy for even having the idea, god bless!) and @zero-saito @dezmondmyles @kingbob2-0 for asking me questions about the au when I started to get a bit lost in the overall process.

Like, if it weren’t for y’all and the entire protocreed community on tumblr, as well as my irl writers group, I probably would’ve never shared anything about this au and would’ve only spoken up about it once the game itself was complete (which is at the very least not coming out for a year, bc I need to make sure all the new mechanics i have planned work out when in testing and are fun to play) and that would’ve been kinda a bummer.

special shout outs to @saturnineaqua who was one of the first people (and my mutual!! :D) who liked my posts about AC and stuff, I was honestly so nervous about posting anything about it, I was about to delete the post minutes after making it, but your initial like was what got me to keep it up.

also, i know i didn’t tag every single person that liked my posts but I just wanna say y’all are amazing! seeing that people actually like this content made me feel better about posting it.

since AO3 is down, i’m gonna post the chapter here on tumblr and ff.net simply because it’s not nsfw and i have little chance of it ever getting taken down or anything. i’ll make a follow up link to it in the following reblog

[milkhoney531]

Dragon Witch Sitch ch15

A/N

I am very sorry that I had not updated sooner. It has been a very busy year for me with my junior year of high school, my first ever job, and going to pride and such. I've honestly never been this social before and had so little time for my stories. A lot of stuff has been changing for me and it has been a struggle and relieving. But since it is Summer now, I will be able to update far more often, so do expect some better, longer chapters, especially now that I have a laptop so I can type more accurately. Now, on with the chapter!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patton's pov.

  I awoke to the scent of cooking meat. Opening my eyes, the world was a blur. Squinting, I saw Desmond hunched by the fire in the early morning light, the sound of world cracking, the heat carrying the scent of freshly cooked meat my direction as I could hear it sizzle so enticingly. Carefully looking at the rocky ground beneath me, I found my bifocals, carefully clearing them of any dirt or smears with the clothing I wore, before gingerly placing them upon my face.

   "It's about time you woke up, Morality. I was about to toss you off of the mountain." Deceit grumbled, never looking away from the fire cooked meat he so carefully cooked.

  I slowly stumbled over as the events of last night slowly came back to me. Sitting next to my once thought deceased cousin, he handed me a cloth covered deer's leg. My stomach grumbled as I held the warm food, which I eagerly unwrapped and took a hearty mouthful of. I began to ponder what kind of deer would live up this high. I tried to discreetly edge towards the mouth of the cave, under my cousin's watchful gaze.

  "Don't try to escape. I'll break your legs if I need to. I can't risk them getting hurt because of you." Desmond growled at me as he ate, a vicious look in his eyes.

    "Them?" I questioned, causing Desmond to grow pale and aggressively look away from me, suddenly more interested in the food he cooked than my potential escape. "Desmond, is the Dragon Witch making you do this? Who do they have? Who are they using against you?" Concern dripped from me as I got closer to him.

   "I'm not the only one of our family that survived. Emile did too. That stupid Dragon Witch, they tricked me! And now I gotta do all this evil stuff for 'em in the HOPES that Emile is still ALIVE!" Desmond spoke, anger and hatred radiating off of him, though not quite as potent as the pure, harsh undercurrent of shame and sadness that exploded off of him.

 In that moment, I wished for my friends to be there with me. To help us. But, that could not happen. I know that. I gave my poor cousin a hug as I began to slowly form an idea to fix all of this. I had to fix this. I had to.

Virgil's pov.

    I awoke suddenly, panting and exhausted, feeling as if all of my energy had been drained, a rare feeling, yet a startling familiar one for me. I slid out of my room quietly, as to not disturb my guests, and began to make myself some calming tea, and one to keep my eyes open. I sat on the tabletop as I waited for each of my teapots to brew. I began to get lost in thought as I played over my vision, over and over again as I combed through it for all the details to make sure that no secrets or surprises could possibly be missed by my gaze.

  I heard footsteps behind me and glanced back, seeing one of my guests had awoken. "Good morning, empath." I spoke distractedly as I continued to think of my vision. 

   "Let us keep that one under wraps please. I do not want that to get out unnecessarily." The empath spoke.

  I nodded my eyes and heard the twin whistles of the teapots before me and sluggishly got up, pouring myself two cups of tea, one to awaken me, and one to calm me. "Calming tea, or wake up tea?" I asked my guest.

   "I'd prefer to wake up some more, thank you." The male spoke.

   I gave a nod and handed him a cup of tea as he sat at the table, that I once again sat on top of. I began drinking the tea meant to calm me, taking in the sounds of chirping birds, the scent of the intermingling teas, and the warmth of the tea making me nearly nod off. Thus prompting me to begin drinking my other beverage. The calmness of the morning, I knew would not last long. But I took solace in it and the peaceful company of my guest.

[ateanalenn]

Blog Post:

"Some randomness + (Assassin's Creed) fic rec" ateanalenn.dreamwidth.org/28590.html 

She's still in a Assassin's Creed mood which is awesome, let me tell you. There was a Assassin's Creed/SG1 fic last month (that she actually finished!!! we're so lucky) which was super brilliant. With Goa'uld/Tok'ra Altaïr even! Go read it, seriously, it's too good. Stargate Brotherhood by esama The next one is unfinished, but also super interesting, I love her ideas. Goa'uld-ish Desmond (the becoming-a-goa'uld is a bit gross, fair warning), which ends up in a Desmond-ish/Rebecca/Shaun fic and while it's not usually my fav pairing, I love how this is worked out and also the world-building is fascinating, again. Cohabitation by esama The one that I actually meant to rec though, is the latest. Time in a Bottle by esama

It's a Assassin's Creed/SGA this time and I wasn't too interested by the first two chapters, even if the story was also interesting (as usual), which worried me because I've gotten good at guessing when she'll grow bored with her own story and move to something else, and I was getting that vibe at the beginning with this one, but the last chapter (n°4) is awesome. Seriously, so much fun. Ezio in Pegasus, going to his usual business of doing little tasks here and there to get money and then re-investing that money in shops, and you've got the humans/Sheppard's team standing to the side like o.O the hell is going on lol. And also this is Masyaf/Sofia-'era' Ezio, so about 60 something years old and at one point he ends up running and Lt Ford is like the hell is he running so fast at his age, wearing 25 kg of armor/weapons ????? And I just loved his reaction. I love reading about external pov when the charas do something that's normal for them but completely ?! for the other characters lol