#WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WON'T BE A BLOOD POOL AND GIANT SKULL? Don't you want your father at your wedding?

[chronurgy]

Gortash the bridezillla...."Durge, dearest, the florist is not respecting my vision. Please see that they meet with an unfortunate accident I think their apprentice will be far more accommodating"

And honestly I actually think most of the companions would take the fiancé thing worse! For one, your LI is going to be sitting there like "bro am I the side piece?" I think most of them would not exactly be thrilled to find out that you're in a long term clearly intense relationship with, well, Gortash. I think even the poly companions would say no thank you to that shit show lol. Plus it's one thing to be in on the evil plan but people could pretty easily rationalize and downplay that to themselves, but being engaged to him indicates that you weren't just some flunky or his instrument or being used by him, you're fully into it. You played a massive role and intended to keep playing one (and if he was using you then you were using him just as much). So I almost think they'd take the engaged thing worse because now they can't hid behind those justifications. Also, I think they'd be way more suspicious about durge going back over to gortash. A lot of the companions treat agreeing to ally with him as clearly a temporary thing where you'll use him for now, but I don't think they would think that if you were engaged to him, especially if he showed durge any sort of genuine affection in public (okay omg pda at his coronation, like kissing their hand or something with a conflicted durge who knows this looks so bad but doesn't want him to stop). I think then they would see any alliance between them as more likely to be permanent (because why shouldn't it be, you two were going to be married and clearly held some amount of trust and respect for one another) in a way that would have fun repercussions.

"Um, actually, we must have a three week honeymoon pleasure cruise. It's absolutely integral to the plan, duh" says Gortash. "But we need to engage in lots of public pda otherwise the plan won't work at all," says Durge, applying another layer of chapstick. I love the idea of them just justifying progressively crazier stuff in the name of the plan. I also kinda love the idea that they're both deluding themselves about the nature of their relationship by saying it's for the plan. Like Durge is fully convinced that they're excited about this having their relationship in the open and getting married thing because it's a sign that the plan is advancing and they're getting access to more murder resources and not at all because of any feelings on their part nope not a bit. And gortash is basically doing the same thing, like ohhhh I'm so happy because this wedding will help cement my reign and not at all because I'm imagining seeing durge in the outfit I carefully designed for them and having them at my side always, nah, just the plan thing.

Sceleritas fel is constantly begging durge not to go through with it and even though he usually isn't visible to other people he makes himself visible to gortash just so he can give him the stinkeye. He also keeps trying to put blood and skeletons in their future shared quarters to improve "the silly little banite lordling's deficient interior decorating".

#au where the plan succeeds up until the ~defeat of the absolute~ and they actually do get married#(before durge meets the party and inevitably there is Redemption And Happy Endings For All because. please)

I now desperately want to see an au where everything goes according to plan and they get married and then the tadpole gang shows up. Maybe they spend all this time in the lower city hearing about it and need to sneak into the wedding in the upper city to meet the people they're up against? Oh that would be too much fun. It would be very fun to get to see both Durge and Gortash's public personas from the gang's perspective and maybe even a glance behind the curtain at their more tyrannical tendencies when we realize that their honeymoon is also cover for them to make contact with and start planning takeovers in other parts of the sword coast. Ooooo this would be so much fun (though I admit to being partial to the idea of durge and gortash enabling the worst parts of the gang from their position of power and dragging them to the darkside with them because I'm terrible and love angst and bad endings)

Consider: Gortash having a portrait of Durge somewhere where the party ends up seeing it, because he managed to coax, bribe or coerce them into sitting for it at some point and there's no point going to all that trouble and expense for a portrait if no one is ever going to see it and also he likes looking at it so sue him. It fulfills both my desire for the party to get a glimpse of pre-amnesia Durge that isn't just Evil Murdery Bhaalspawn and my desire for Gortash dragging Durge kicking and screaming into at least some parts of Respectable Noble Society!

[pink-peony-princess]

Who Said Anything About Tact?

Violet's walk had started out like any other. She was a person of habit,very rarely did she break her routine, and so how she came to be by Old Station Bridge,she couldn't be sure. One thing had led to another, she had noticed the way the late afternoon light was hitting the trees just across the small river, the field behind it backlit perfectly. So perfectly that she'd done what she'd so rarely done before and stopped to take a photo.

She'd been warned about the presence of wolves by her mother so many times before, the whole town of Mercy Falls knew about them. There were the Cresent Moon pack, feared amongst wolves, but of zero threat to humans, in fact they were well know to help protect their human neighbours whenever necessary. And then there were the rogues, the mean, vicious, unapologetically violent, wolves that were fixated on taking the town for themselves.

Unfortunately for Violet this was who she came to be in the presence of the day it happened.

She'd taken her photo and had made it no more than 30 metres down the road when she heard the first growl. At first she ignored it, maybe it was a trick of her imagination she thought shaking her head. But she heard it again, this time closer, and she had a weird feeling as though she was being watched.

Before she had time to react, she was hanging just above the ground sharp teeth cutting into her side as she screamed to no effect for the animal to drop her, it shook her the way a dog would shake its prey to kill it, showing no sign of letting her go. She would have sworn she heard a crack of bone, but she couldn't be sure because her whole body felt like one giant punching bag. She called out for help again and again, but it was useless, no one would hear her out here, no one came along here, and for good reason she thought as she let her body go lump, accepting her fate.

Raul and his two betas- one of his brothers Peter and his friend Connor were nearly finished with their evening perimeter run of their lands when they heard it. The unmistakable rumble of growling in the distance. None of the three men recognised the tone, meaning it wasn't one (or several) of their own, which only left one other possibility-rogues.

They listened for a minute before they heard the sound of a woman shouting, begging for help over and over again before just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

The three wolves looked at one another before sprinting for the eastern boundary by Old Station Bridge. If there was a human,they were in trouble, there was no way a human could win against one rogue, let alone multiple.

Raul had dealt with his fair share of rogues in his short time as alpha, but nothing would prepare him for what they saw as they came to a stop by the bridge. A pack of 10 wolves were all circling a young brunette woman- from what Raul could see from the glimpses he was catching between the wall of wolves she around the same age as him and his brothers.

He made his way closer, careful not to bring attention to himself or his betas, he wanted the element of surprise.

He was just about to attack when the young woman looked up, as if she sensed help had come. What Raul wasn't expecting as the woman held his gaze was how it would make him feel. Initially Raul registered the terror and pain on the woman's face, the extreme helplessness, and then something hit him. It was the weirdest feeling- like warm tingling butterflies flooding Raul's entire body, his wolf- Knight- was restless, anxious really, begging to be let free, and then it happened, it clicked "Mate, mate, mate!" Knight shouted in Raul's head over and over again. There was a moment or two of elation where neither Raul or this unknown human girl moved before Raul was snapped back to reality by yet another growl from one of the rogues as they continued to circle and a small pitiful whimper from the girl.

There was no way he was going to let his mate get hurt he thought to himself as he lunged forward immediately knocking one of the wolves out of the way. Peter and Connor followed suit, just as easily dispensing another two wolves a good 10 metres from where they'd originally been. Though they got straight back up, poised to attack again.

Raul could see the girl clearly now that the circle had been broken and the sight pulled at his chest, though he wouldn't like to admit it.

The woman had a large gash on her temple which was trickling blood down the side of her head, dropping in a small pool on the ground, along with several puncture marks on her abdomen, which judging by the blood that had saturated her white shirt were deep, not to mention what looked like a very broken right wrist and scrapes covering just about every visible part of her body.

He could feel the anger rising him at what these low lives had done to the girl- his mate! His! Noone else's! And before he could think he was shifting ripping a pair of pants out of the nearest tree (thank the Lord the whole perimeter of their lands had stashes of clothes) and was running over to her.

A deep gutteral growl left his lips, stopping everyone in their tracks.

Even Peter and Connor stopped, they all knew what that growl meant, it was the possessive growl of a mated wolf warning everyone and everything in it's way to stay away- or else.

The girl flinched as Raul continued to growl as the rogues slowly backed up,clearing a path for him to get to her.

"Don't touch me," she begged, eyes wide with fear as she tried to shuffle backwards away from Raul as he bent down in front of her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Raul spoke gruffly. "I'm trying to help you stop fighting me!" he grumbled, swinging her up into his arms effortlessly as she tried to push against him.

The way she sobbed as he moved her pulled at his heartstrings he had to admit, but right now he had a mission, get her to Shawn his other identical brother and one of the pack doctors before she past out or bled out.

"Let me go." she smacked his chest weakly,making absolutely no impact. Infact Raul barely felt it.

"Stop fighting me!" Raul snapped, feeling frustrated as he ran as fast as his legs would take him in the direction of home.

"I don't even know you! I want to go home!" the girl continued to struggle despite her injuries.

Peter who had been running behind Raul with Connor (both of whom must have shifted without Raul even realising) spoke up.

"Raul, look at her, she's terrified and in pain." Raul could tell without even looking at him that he felt bad for her, he was always such a softie, whereas Raul would rather be tactless and keep his mate alive than worry about being a gentleman.

Raul halted causing Peter to crash into him mid-step.

"Look Peter, I can either do as she asks, or I can save her life, which do you think I'm gonna choose?" he asked pointedly, glaring at his younger brother. He should know what was at stake here, afterall he'd found his mate Betty 6 months before and was absolutely besotted.

"I'm not saying you're not doing the right thing." Peter tried to backpedal. "Just maybe be a little nicer, a little more understanding, think about how you'd feel if you were in her position. She's human. Attacked by rogues and then some strange guy who also happens to be a wolf comes and picks you up and snaps at you when you try to defend yourself as you would."

"I'm trying to help her," Raul snapped again, glaring still.

"I know you are," Peter smiled sympathetically, "all I'm saying is maybe watch your tone."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, looking down at the crying girl in his arms. "My name's Raul, I know you're scared but if you don't let me help you won't be alive to go home," he explained impatiently, still walking.

"But you're a wolf. Why would you help me?" The confusion in her voice genuinely surprised him.

"Not all of us are big bad wolves," he answered, not disclosing the real reason. She was quiet for a minute except for the occasional hiss from pain.

"You are." she looked up at him waiting for a response, but Raul was so shocked that all he could do was laugh.

"You might be right you know."

...

By the time they made it to the pack house the girl, his mate had become lethargic and non- talkative. Raul wouldn't let it show, but he was really starting to panic. When he'd thought so many times before about the possibility of meeting his mate, this was so not what he'd imagined. But here he was carrying a half- limp woman with potentially life-threatening injuries through his house with everyone they came across giving him the same look of shock and confusion.

Peter and Connor had disappeared to put a search party together to deal with the rogues in question. Raul had really been quite forgiving of them over the two years he'd been in charge, but this, this was too far, this he would not forgive, he'd hunt them for the rest of his days if that's what it took to get revenge.

He would never forgive them for what they'd done to his mate. Never.

He made his way up the stairs that led to the pack hospital quicky- it had been decided when he became alpha that a whole floor of the pack house (it was a mansion really if you took the size into account) would be turned into something of a hospital. Not only was it more convenient for everyone in the pack house- rather than going to a GP or hospital they could simply walk upstairs and be seen by a doctor nearly straight away, but it was practical for all the times when werewolves would come home injured from fights or assignments and need immediate medical care. As this woman did now. When Raul reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner to the door of the hospital he was met with a wall of people and even more curious eyes. Everyone seemed shocked to see their alpha- usually so tough and strong carrying a semi conscious woman as though she might break at any moment.

"Out of the way, fucking move!" he yelled, causing her to whimper as the sound sent shock waves through her skull. Everyone scurried, heads down not game to look their alpha in the eye. They knew just from his stance, let alone his tone that he wasn't kidding around.

"Shawn get your arse in here!" he called as he pushed his way through another door and into the consultation area.

He made his way over to a bed, putting her down as gently as he could, but she still gave a whine of discomfort.

Whether in a half-delirious state or simply trying to distance herself from him, she made a move to try and get off the bed almost immediately but he stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay," he spoke, a little too harshly, instantly regretting it when he saw her bottom lip quiver slightly. "Sorry," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Who's this?" Shawn asked walking through the door a moment later, he looked between Raul and the young woman on the bed. Up close Raul could see just how pretty she was, chocolate brown eyes and a few freckles here and there. She was perfect he thought.

"Took you long enough," Raul grouched "She's my mate," he spoke quickly, watching as both Shawn and the woman's eyes went wide. Shawn was the first to recover, nodding and waiting for his brother to go on as though he hadn't just mentioned something totally life changing.

"She was attacked by rogues. I'm going to fucking kill them!" he fumed pacing the area.

...

As soon as Violet heard the word 'mate' she began to freak out, her breathing became laboured. She couldn't help but claw at her throat in a desperate attempt to get air. She couldn't have this jerk as a mate, she couldn't leave her home to live with a pack of wolves, she wouldn't.

Shawn rushed over grabbing an oxygen mask and gently placing it on her face.

"That's it, nice slow breathes, you're okay," he encouraged as Raul looked on helplessly.

"Raul, get outside, cool off, you're terrifying her. Look at her," he spoke not bothering to look at his brother, still trying to coax Violet into a semi-normal breathing pattern.

Ordinarily, Raul would have kicked Shawn's arse from here to Mars for talking to him like that, but when he turned to face his mate and saw the tears of fright rolling down her face, the way she clung to his brother's hand, he was brought back to the present. Of course he could be hot-headed and he had a reputation to uphold, but that didn't mean he wanted his mate to be scared of him. Hell that was the last thing he wanted.

"Sorry," he muttered, pushing past Shawn and walking out the door.

They heard a crash of what sounded like a vase, causing Violet to jump again.

"Sorry about him," Shawn apologised. "I promise, he's really not that bad, he's a big softie really, he just gets protective of his loved ones and doesn't necessarily deal with the emotion the best way. I'm Shawn by the way," he smiled.

"V-violet," She looked at him still unsure.

"Can I have a look at your injuries?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," she answered.

He smiled before carefully assessing the surface injuries. Violet was relieved to hear that the bite wounds although nasty weren't life-threatening and would heal 'just fine' although he did get Violet to hold a piece of gauze over the area while he went about setting her up with different what felt like a 100 different leads so he could track her vitals.

"I'm just going to get you hooked up to a few monitors okay. They won't hurt, they're just so I can keep track of your heart rate and oxygen levels, things like that okay?"

She nodded, and Shawn went about making sure the slightly insane amount of leads were properly attached, before coming back over to the bed and pulling a penlight from his breast pocket.

"Looks like you gave yourself a nasty whack here," he commented, trying to be a bit more casual about it to put her at ease.

"Follow my finger," he asked as he turned the light on and shone it towards Violet, immediately making her want to recoil. "Do you remember what day it is?" he asked with a small frown, as he pocketed the light once again.

"Saturday?" she answered feeling very unsure.

"Yeah it is," Shawn smiled sympathetically at her obvious confusion and fear.

Things were quiet for a while except for the rhythmic beeping of the machines attached to Violet which were starting to lull her into sleep

"Knock, knock?" someone tapped at the door gently startling Violet, before a man who looked almost exactly the same as Shawn, except with shorter hair poked his head into the room." Hey, I just came to see how you were? The others just left to track the wolves that attacked you and Raul's downstairs sulking," he smiled as he stepped into the room, dodging Shawn who was now busy getting supplies out to deal with the nasty and numerous wounds covering Violet's body. "I'm Peter," he held out a hand.

She smiled,holding out her left non- injured hand, "Violet."

Shawn walked back over to the bed carrying a load of medical supplies which he placed on the bed beside Violet, it made her feel a bit sick thinking about it, there were bottles of disinfectant, scissors,wipes, packets of what looked like needles and tubing, sheets of protective paper and gloves.

"Try not to focus on what I'm doing, why don't you talk to Peter while I work?" he suggested, kicking a rolling stool in Peter's direction which he sat on before following suit on his own one. "I need to start an I.V. with some antibiotics okay?" he added, before picking up a packet from the bed and ripping it open.

Violet stiffened as what Shawn had said sunk in, an I.V. meant, a needle and Violet was no good with needles, the last time she had to have one she fainted in the reception area of her doctor's.

"It's okay," Shawn tried to calm her, but he could tell that she was only becoming more and more uptight.

"Hold Peter's hand if you want," Shawn suggested seeing the tears pooling in her eyes.

She took Peter's hand immediately in her good one and Shawn went about positioning her arm for the I.V., wiping her arm before lining the needle up and looking up at her. "Sharp scratch," he warned before inserting the needle quickly, but carefully.

She jumped slightly, and gave a small whimper, but overall, she thought, it wasn't too bad.

"There all done," Shawn smiled, getting up to discard the waste into a special bin. "How's your pain? I'm going to give you a local anesthetic when I clean your abdomen and head up, but I can give you a dose of pain relief if you need it," he offered.

"Please," she nodded, a few tears falling down her face.

Shawn nodded again going to get the pain relief when there was another knock on the door, this one was harder than when Peter had knocked to come in. The door opened and Raul came in, not waiting to be invited. Violet noticed straight away how much calmer he looked.

They stared at each other for a moment, before Shawn walked back into the room, stopping when he saw Rau in the doorway.

"You can come in if you're calm enough," Shawn invited him, promoting Raul to step fully into the room and close the door behind him.

"Raul, this is Violet."

Raul smiled a really genuine smile and Violet couldn't help but notice, now that he wasn't being a totally arse, just how handsome he was, how handsome all three of them were- Raul, Shawn and Peter. They were all well built, and extremely tall- towering over Violet's 5'2" frame, with curly brown hair and brown eyes. Raul was by far the most well built and intimidating with a sleeve of tattoos covering his arm and right hand as few scattered on his neck. Up close Violet could see the lip and ear piercings that only added to the tough almost gothic look. The smile on his face a stark contrast to the rest of his appearance.

...

Raul made his way over to the bed slowly, carefully, the last thing he wanted to do was scare Violet anymore than he already had. He wanted to show her the softer side of him, the side that would do anything for his mate, the side that was fiercely protective and loyal. Not the arsehole he showed her when they first met.

Peter stood up and smiled before leaving the room, the rolling stool now vacant. Raul took the opportunity to sit down, still looking at this young woman in awe.

"I'm sorry I was an arse to you," he apologised, looking down at his hands.

Violet didn't say anything, but when Raul looked up, she nodded softly signalling she'd heard him.

"Violet I'm going to start stitching your head up now okay?" Shawn interrupted their little moment.

Raul could see the panic on Violet's face as Shawn spoke and wanted so badly to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how. He felt so much pity and protectiveness at his tiny mate laying helplessly on the bed as Shawn tended to her injuries.

...

"Can I, can I hold your hand?" The softness and tentiveness of the question was so unlike Raul that both Violet and Shawn stopped, stunned momentarily. As much as Violet wanted to say no, just to prove a point that you don't get to be a complete jerk and then backflip and suddenly everything was okay again, she had to admit that an odd sense of calm had washed over her since Raul had entered the room.

She nodded again and he immediately took her hand carefully, sending shockwaves of tingles up both of their bodies. She looked at him panicked, but he just smiled reassuringly, before speaking, "It's the mate connection," he murmured, squeezing her hand gently. It felt odd to be holding someone's hand that she'd barely met and that had been so cold to her previously and yet, it felt so right.

Her thought train was interrupted by a sharp prick and then an intense stinging started on she forehead, before Shawn was pulling up her top revealing the wounds that she'd been holding pressure on. "Deep breath," Shawn warned this time before yet another prick and more stinging, the process was repeating a further two times before he discarded the needle.

"Oww, it's stinging," she whimpered.

"Shawn why'd you have to hurt her!" Raul half growled, though it was nothing on what he'd been like earlier.

"I'm not trying to, I promise, unfortunately it can be a side effect of the anesthetic. It shouldn't last long."

After she was stitched up,and her broken wrist x-rayed and plastered the two men left her to have a moment alone while they spoke outside.

"How bad?" Raul asked folding his arms.

Shawn sighed, "She's badly banged up. She'll need to be on I.V.for at least 24 hours."

"I want her in my room," Raul demanded immediately.

"Did you hear what I said?" Shawn asked.

"Did you hear what I said?" He counted harshly.

"Fine," Shawn sighed. "'I'll set her up in your room. If she agrees."

Raul nodded, a smirk on his face. They both knew he'd won the battle and there was nothing Shawn could do about it.

By the way, what were you thinking, just picking her up and bringing her here before actually talking to her?" he shook his head. "She was terrified." Raul who could hear the disapproval in Shawn's voice didn't take lightly to being spoken to by one of his pack, let alone his own brother.

"One don't talk to me like that, ever again,I might be your brother, but I'm also your Alpha and two I'm sorry, but if I hadn't have done what I did, she would be dead. Maybe that makes me harsh or whatever but I'd rather save my mate and the future luna of our pack than worry about pleasentries."

Shawn wanted to say more, but knew better than to push Raul so he simply said "I'll talk to her about staying with you, stay here." Before he left,not waiting for his reply.

...

As Shawn had expected as soon as he mentioned the idea of being in Raul's room, she shot him down pointing out that while he'd been nice to her in the last 30 minutes or so, he'd been a total jerk previously and she didn't want to be stuck with thst.

"I know he wasn't the nicest to you," Shawn agreed, "But I promise he means well, he was stressed and frustrated. He's your mate, it's his job to love and protect you and trust me he will do anything to honour that, even if it means being a bit harsh sometimes. Plus being around him will help you heal quicker, it's something that your body will recognise subconsciously, even for you as a human. It's one of our weird werewolf things. Please," he put his hands together practically begging.

"Fine," she conceeded, but if he's even the slightest bit rude I'm outta there,"

"Deal."

Half an hour later and Violet was situated in the most comfortable bed she'd ever laid in, the smell of Raul (a mixture of Sandalwood and Musk) filling her senses. She had to admit it calmed her, despite her wariness towards him.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked leaning against the doorway arms folding a smile once again gracing his face, making him look so much less scary. She jumped slightly holding a hand to her chest.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he apologised and something in the way he said it told her he wasn't just apologising for now.

"S'okay," she yawned, "but you have zero tact you know," she laughed as he frowned.

"I'm Raul Mendes, alpha of the largest pack in Canada,I can be mean, I can be ruthless,I also protect the ones I love with everything I have. But who said anything about tact? Cause it definitely wasn't me," he laughed, coming over to sit on the bed next to her, careful not to invade her space. As Violet drifted into a dream-state she could have sworn she heard him say "Sleep well, little mate," but of course when she questioned him on it the next day Raul would deny it till he was blue, well red in the face- with embarrassment that is. Maybe he wasn't such a big bad wolf afterall Violet thought.

[crossdressingdeath]

#Master you are wrong to consider any your equal kill the banite and be done with this nonsense#Master if you must go through with this could you not add a little viscera and some screaming flayed men to the ceremony?#It's important to honor your heritage master. No? Well at least you'll have the traditional blood pool and giant skull.#WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WON'T BE A BLOOD POOL AND GIANT SKULL? Don't you want your father at your wedding?#Youths have no respect for tradition these days of course your father needs to be at your wedding at least wear a skull pin#Poor sceleritas fel he's really going through it

Bad angsty endings are good. Cute fluffy endings are however still my preference (see my obsession with the possibility that Durge is immortal, which I will freely admit started from me having thoughts about tiefling lifespans vs elf and vampire lifespans and getting sad although I am now fully convinced it's a thing). This concept contains multitudes, it can do both!

The one plus side of the awkwardness of the whole "running into your fiancé who you forgot about with your new lover" situation is that if the plan was for them to "fall in love" after Durge dramatically saved Gortash's life in battle with the Absolute Gortash wouldn't be able to offer up any PDA at the coronation since technically speaking he and Durge weren't engaged yet. ...Although then again he does slaughter all the people there basically as soon as it's done, so I guess he can do whatever. Imagine Gortash realizing one of the companions is Durge's lover and immediately turning the affection up to twelve. Just because he's so glad to see his darling fiancé back safe and sound, obviously. And you're right, I think the fact that Durge is engaged would be a big deal for the LIs; it's one thing to have a discussion of polyamory with your partner and for them to agree they're interested in the idea. It's quite another for them to find out you're supposed to be marrying someone else, and all through that set of reveals the companions seem to be struggling a bit with the "Durge doesn't remember anything about their past" thing. And the idea of the party being more concerned about the possibility of Durge genuinely intending to ally with Gortash with the clear evidence that the two of them had a deep, mutual affection for each other is very fun and makes a lot of sense. I'm actually surprised they aren't suspicious that that's Durge's plan in canon.

I love the idea of Durge and Gortash both genuinely believing that they're just getting married for the plan. I can't decide which is better, if they think the other is also Just Doing It For The Plan or if they think the other is legitimately in love with them and they are a Master Manipulator using their partner's feelings against them. But the most important point is that Bhaal and Bane are both completely in the dark as to the marriage not being Just For The Plan while many people around them see exactly what's going on and are amazed these two actual literal gods are missing it. I think this is especially fun if Myrkul is one of the ones who realizes, so he's just watching his asshole comrades completely miss their Chosen being blatantly in love with each other and going "This is not my problem."

Poor Sceleritas trying so hard to keep his master in line and failing miserably. He's just trying to be a good butler and yet, he got the most prestigious Bhaalspawn ever as his master and all they do is fawn over Bane's horrible Chosen. They don't even intend to consummate the marriage by killing him on Bhaal's altar! What sort of good traditional Bhaalist wedding is this?! Also Sceleritas accusing them of not wanting their father at their wedding because they didn't want a giant skull and pool of blood at the ceremony that is being held for an audience of Baldur's Gate patriars is... fucking fantastic. Bhaal probably wouldn't even want to be at the wedding. And Sceleritas then trying to redecorate their quarters to be more Bhaalist is hilarious, I love the idea of him getting into a passive-aggressive war over the interior decorating with Gortash while Durge is completely unbothered because they lived in a sewer temple and so have no opinions beyond "let's just make sure it doesn't stink."

Also, consider Gortash and Durge playing up the "sappy couple hopelessly infatuated with each other" angle at the wedding and the party assumes it's all an act (because Karlach is there and doesn't think Gortash is capable of positive emotions, understandably), and then when they get a glimpse behind the curtain they do see that these are in fact two consummate liars using their staged fairy tale romance to win the hearts of the Lower City... but also they really are that in love. They may not realize it, but they are. ...Also I'm now imagining Durge playing up this "sweet, humble commoner astounded by their rise in position and deeply in love with their husband" angle for the party, who don't realize for ages that this is Bhaal's serial killing, apocalypse-heralding Chosen. Give me the party genuinely starting to believe that Gortash really did fall for a commoner who saved his life before the truth comes out and they're all like "Okay yeah that makes infinitely more sense."

Consider: Gortash having a portrait of Durge somewhere where the party ends up seeing it, because he managed to coax, bribe or coerce them into sitting for it at some point and there's no point going to all that trouble and expense for a portrait if no one is ever going to see it and also he likes looking at it so sue him. It fulfills both my desire for the party to get a glimpse of pre-amnesia Durge that isn't just Evil Murdery Bhaalspawn and my desire for Gortash dragging Durge kicking and screaming into at least some parts of Respectable Noble Society!