gloryinthunder

[gloryinthunder]

Struggling so hard to get through SOTO. (I'm just now trying to finish it after dropping it about a quarter way through, months ago.) In 12+ years of playing GW2 I've never somehow felt both completely superfluous to the plot because I have zero input into what's going on and simultaneously like nothing could happen if I wasn't there because everyone else is useless without me.

I've struggled with frustration with the GW2 story before but everything about this expansion just rubs me so wrong. I don't like 90% of the characters, my Commander is written as an overly trusting idiot (which is rich since I'm playing a sylvari), and it feels dismissive of you as a player and your Commander.

I'll likely have more thoughts if I can just finish this. I'm so close.

[gloryinthunder]

Sweet and spicy.

And the last of the backlog.

Good old Larian really outdid themselves when they accidentally made Gortash/The Dark Urge one of the most canon non-canon ship to ever have existed in fiction.

There are a few ways you can imagine a relationship between two absurdly evil lunatics, but I like to think that it was actually weirdly sweet between them, in contrast to how they were with...everyone else, really.

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Face reveals.

I love this man and his flair for the dramatic.

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Yes. I ship them so hard!

Most Holy.

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There are things in the Fade we cannot circumscribe. I'm grateful it returned what's most dear to me.

[gloryinthunder]

Somehow Taash and Emmrich became my dream team during my (as of the moment) one finished DAV playthrough so I spent a lot of time with them together.

I love that they start out with Taash creeped out by Emmrich and his 'corpse stuff' and the Fade and Emmrich oblivious to Taash's discomfort but utterly failing to understand their obsession with dragons.

You can encourage them to talk about their hobbies with each other, to understand each other better, and they do. They seem like such an odd pairing but I love that these two find ways to connect.

Emmrich might not be into dragons himself but he comes to understand and appreciate Taash's interest in them. Taash grows to at least be comfortable with Emmrich (as a lich no less), even if they're never going to be super relaxed about necromancy in general.

We go from...

to right before the end...

Emmrich has his usual delight in his voice and Taash gives a good natured laugh as they say 'good talk'.

I also like to think Emmrich showed Taash what a better teacher is like, given all the frustrations Taash had with having their mother as a teacher all their life.

This is something I really liked about Veilguard. The companions have conversations and relationships that grow and with some encouragement even the most mismatched can find common ground and friendship.

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Haha, wow, this only took me like 9 fucking months to write. FFS my work ethic. (On the plus side it is 8k+ words, so that's nice.)

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Summary:

Bane and Bhaal’s Chosen have pulled off the heist of the age, stealing a legendary relic from under the nose of an archdevil. While recovering in the aftermath of their nearly lethal foray into the Hells, Gortash, ever the showman and manipulator, lets parts of his mask slip. The Dark Urge is forced to confront the lingering effects of their continued association, as he and his counterpart grow ever closer.

Tags: The Dark Urge/Enver Gortash, Blood, Hair-pulling, Thirsty Murderers, Pre-Canon, Male Dark Urge (Baldur's Gate), Biting, Scratching, Dom/sub Undertones, Dom Enver Gortash, Blood Drinking

[gloryinthunder]

Inspired by this post by @trupowieszcz

[gloryinthunder]

For all that Sarevok and his groupies go on and on about how special the Durge is, I think this is a better hint of what Bhaal actually considers them. It's a nice little precursor to the final confrontation, if you reject Daddy.

You're not actually special, not really. You're disposable spillage, easily replaceable.

Pretty dehumanizing.

[gloryinthunder]

How to ask your favorite assassin out on a date.

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my fav durgtash headcanon is that once in a while Gortash would come home after a long day of manipulate mansplain manwhore to find Durge taking a bath in his bathroom or sleeping in his bed and the only explanation he'd get is "your place was closer"

[gloryinthunder]

Idk maybe shar was on to tomething thats all im saying

Small bonus:

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I'm not sure when they added this for Wyll but I'm soooo glad they did. There was SUCH a loose thread hanging there between you if you turn him down for the dance. It's nice to have a clear the air moment and reinforce our friendship.

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Given the chaste peck on the lips we've had up until now I'm going absolutely fucking feral over these.

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It's based on height! *shoots into the stratosphere*

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had to give halsin the body he should have had to begin with

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I don't like Orin but damn can she not get a break. Everyone just going on and on about the Durge being a miracle, how much Bhaal just loves them sooo much.

You can really tell why she despised Durge. It's like no matter what she did she was never going to be able to match your raw ability and her vision was never going to match what Bhaal wanted. It has younger sibling in the older's shadow energy to it.

Apparently Durge also had a lot of hubris and didn't see Orin as a threat at all. She does come off to me as very childish. Like she's throwing a temper tantrum, running around breaking her toys, etc. Which makes it even more of a dig when Gortash says he tolerated Orin, like he's tolerating a badly behaved toddler, but he liked you. He never saw her as an equal the way he saw Durge as one. (And still does after you come back.)

Even cozying up to gramps Sarevok and his murder club he's just savage about Orin. Wants to invite you back for tea after you kill her and everything.

Even random Bhaal worshippers in the temple are begging you to kill her. It's pretty wild just how much everyone hates this woman.