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durgesupremacy · 6 months

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[fic update] they Rest

Enver Gortash x Durge (Solace), part 5.

*

Solace wanted to tell him everythng then and there, all their favorite kills, their best work, their bloodiest deeds. The bright-eyed detective who delved too deep into the sewers. The captain all those years ago who they hung from the mast of his ship, face twisted and frozen into a perfect scream. The tiefling child.

They didn’t. They felt the rushed intensity of the feeling and though they weren’t quite sure what it was or how it worked, they recognized it as impulse, and Solace knew to be wary of their impulses. Still, they felt the want. The only ones who’d known about Solace’s deeds outside of the temple had been at the other end of their blades. Even the assassins regarded what little they heard of Solace’s kills with fearful respect. Nothing like admiration. The butler admired them, sure, but Sceleritas was a sick and twisted thing who shared Solace’s gruesome disposition. Gortash had no reason to appreciate the murder and yet he did. If Solace wasn’t so disciplined, they could’ve drowned themselves in the feeling.

Instead they ate, content to rest in Gortash’s office, or perhaps to wander back to the temple at daybreak. Their elven body needed little rest. But the night carried on and they watched Gortash continue to pour through his work, eyes bleary, head heavy.

“You need to sleep.” Solace broke the silence.

“I told you not to interrupt me.”

“You’re falling over in your seat. You’ve been muttering the same few phrases for the past ten minutes.”

“Leave, then, if it bothers you.” Gortash spared a moment to glare at them, but his annoyance was weak through his fatigue.

Something occurred to Solace. “This is why you get stuck during the day. You’re not rested enough to focus. Are you always pushing yourself like this?”

“This is nothing.” Gortash stood then, annoyance giving way to anger. “I am perfectly well and I will sleep when I am tired. Leave me in peace.”

Solace bristled. Stubborn, arrogant man. He was tired already. “Fine.” They stood and looked towards the door, considering their options. They’d thought their partner reliable, and he had been. But now they knew. He could be better, if he only looked after his stupid mortal needs.

Instead of walking out, Solace walked over to Gortash and drove their boot into his chest. He crashed to the floor along with his chair.

Gortash pushed himself up, fuming. “What”—

“If you’ll sleep when you’re tired, then you’ll spar until you’re tired.” Solace went in with their elbow and Gortash deflected them, but it was sloppy. “Assuming you’re doing as well as you say, you’ll put up a good fight.”

“How dare”—

Solace drove the heel of their palm into his throat and Gortash choked mid-sentence. “If you can hold me off for seven minutes, I’ll leave you to your neurosis. But if you go on like this, you’re sleeping even if I have to knock you out. I need you at your best. Do we have a deal?”

“Fuck you.”

“That wasn’t a ‘no.’” Solace’s next strike went low into Gortash’s ribs.

Seven minutes. He didn’t make it to five. Gortash was weary hours ago, but Solace was freshly fed and strengthened by the rush of their hunt. They could’ve gone all night. Solace moved fast and pressed their every advantage. Gortash seethed with silent fury but his blows were imprecise. His anger burned through what was left of his energy and he soon hit the ground again, Solace restraining him with ease.

“Sleep. You’ve lost.”

“I haven’t lost yet.”

“Yes, you have.” Solace loosened their hold and let Gortash struggle for a moment before pushing him down again, bracing his chin with their forearm and forcing him to meet their eyes. “Six hours ago, you might’ve won. But you can’t perform in these conditions. Ignore the needs of your body and someday you’ll doom us both.”

Though Gortash’s gaze remained stubborn and firm, he could no longer avoid Solace’s point and he knew it. He slackened under their frame and Solace eased up, pulling him to his unsteady feet.

“I haven’t locked up the room,” he said.

“I’ll take care of it.” Gortash had extra security measures go up when he slept, but Solace remembered. They’d helped him redesign them, after all. “Rest.”

Scowling, Gortash stalked off to his quarters while Solace started attending to the security wards. They half expected him to find some way to busy himself still, but soon enough they heard his breath shift to the steady pace of sleep. Working their way around the room, Solace briefly wondered about Gortash’s paranoid caution. He had the best defenses money could buy. He was strong. He slept alone. But remembering the deep sleep of humans, Solace could appreciate their ally’s fears. Solace had private quarters at the temple, but there was no such thing as security in a hive of assassins; if they slept as humans did, they’d likely have been killed long ago.

Solace’s mind drifted into fantasy. How pleasant it would be, to slaughter would-be assassins of Gortash in his own office.

Once they finished setting up the wards, Solace curled up on the couch. An extra security measure in return for his trouble. They went into their trance.

***

Gortash awoke. He was comfortable, sprawled on the finest sheets, the least-utilized piece of his luxuries. He was better rested than he’d been in months.

Gods, what was the time? Gortash cursed and slowly rose, mustering the will to move with urgency. His office had an alarm clock of sorts, designed to go off when the sun rose. But despite his windowless sleeping quarters, Gortash felt that the sun must have been up for several hours at least. Damned Bhaalspawn. They must’ve switched it off, in their commitment to sabotaging his daily routine.

Gortash threw on his coat and opened the door, only to find Solace at his desk. He wasn’t quite awake enough to be eloquent with his words.

“The hells?”

“Ah, you’re awake.” Solace put down some papers and looked up at him. “Good. I’m running out of the business of yours that I know how to do.”

“What in Bane’s name”— Gortash snatched up the papers on top of the desk, only to find evidence of his morning duties almost fully complete. Finalizing of supply orders and inventory, condensing of intelligence reports for future appointments, identifying the day’s most urgent tasks, suggesting amendments to his schedule—all in Solace’s handwriting, but it could’ve been Gortash’s mind. He started at them, dumbfounded.

“Why are you so surprised? I’ve seen you do this time and time again. You talked it through with me at least once.” Solace took the papers back and stacked them neatly. “Though now I know you only needed my help because you were mad from lack of sleep. Don’t waste energy torturing yourself. You have more important things to do.”

Gortash ought to end the alliance then and there. Or punish them, at the very least. They had no right to challenge him as they did, much less to take on his work themselves. But his heart wasn’t in it. Though Gortash had lost hours of his day, his mind was clear, his thoughts calm.

Solace crossed a line. But they’d helped him. And seeing Solace’s disheveled hair and the dried blood on their hands, Gortash knew they’d taken their trance here. They’d armed and disarmed the security and done work that wasn’t theirs to do, at the cost of spending the night on his couch. He swallowed his pride and allowed it to be eclipsed by appreciation. They could’ve left him exposed. If they really wanted, they could’ve killed him in his sleep. Instead they took up his duties.

“You did well,” he said. Solace gave a slight smile and shook their head, standing up.

“I should go back to the temple. I have work of my own.” They went for the door. “I expect you to try and get better sleep, going forward. Just don’t get soft.”

Despite himself, Gortash chuckled. “Don’t get lost.” He found himself wanting to say something else, to keep them there. But he couldn’t think of the words.

Solace left. The severed arm was still on the table, vile and elegant in the light of the late morning sun.

*

Guess I should start linking to the rest: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fanfiction #durgetash #enver gortash #gn!durge #the dark urge #they/them durge #durge #slow burn #this is my break from my grad thesis #and it's big fun creative writing practice #I'm learning a lot

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bucky-boychik-barnes · 3 months

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One thing I am really appreciating about Stories with Sapphire is that almost no stories are from white folk. The host herself is Filipino, while the guest of the linked episode is an Oglala Lakota writer and journalist.

#i'm learning a lot #and unlearning some stuff too #Spotify

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ecoamerica · 2 months

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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charkyzombicorn · 1 year

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What type of seal is usopp ( I think he should be a harp seal)

No one knows what kind of seal he is pre-ts bc he's shrimpy but post-ts he's obviously an elephant seal because he's Large and prone to being a hooligan (new Zealand newspapers officially labeled this species Hooligan Seals. Government mandated silly little guys)

#one piece #Literally that boy Ate #Did you know seals can be like 4 tons?#I'm learning a lot

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eleonorpiteira · 7 months

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Weight of a Feather, Assassin's Creed: Origins fanart, watercolour and acrylic gouache on hot press paper, 17.8 x 25.4 cm

This is one of those that I don't care if no one likes it, or if there are obvious mistakes/things that don't make sense, I'm proud of myself for managing to do it traditionally and that's that. It's for no one but me, I'm just sharing it with you :)

I started it in 2021, even began to paint it, but burnout is a bitch and I couldn't finish it then. Recently I decided to see if I could complete it traditionally and this is the result! It was inspired by a screenshot I took where Bayek's face is entirely in shadow. I then added elements that relate to Ma'at, the goddess of truth and justice, and the ceremony of the Weighing of the Heart, where she'd weigh a dead person's heart against her ostrich feather, to see if they were worthy of going on to the Field of Reeds (a sort of paradise). (Egyptologists don't @ me 😭)

#assassin's creed #ac origins #assassins creed #assasins creed origins #assassin's creed: origins #bayek #bayek of siwa #senu #ma'at #fanart #traditional illustration #traditional art #acrylic gouache #illustration #art only tag #it actually looks insane irl I'm so happy #I learned a lot from this adventure #I also learned that I hate scanning art lol #so.....Kassandra next? 👀

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wardingshout · 5 months

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Zelda goes mushroom girl

#tloz #a link to the past #zelda #link #my art #I was happy with that first one but for some reason decided it still needed a companion piece so I spent way too long on that second one...#I don't think there was any time during the progress where I was happy with it but hfduhdfu at least I got to Attempt drawing moss hell yea #I also at some point sat in Pyu's art stream and said I enjoy drawing legs As I was being murdered by the infamously impossibe (imo) squat.#it's ok I had fun !! but I need to learn how to let doodles be doodles or I'll never finish stuff at this rate dfsuhfd #if everything in my tloz tag looks like it was drawn by different people uuuh 2023 was art crisis year ngl......#I'm falling back into my old ways rn though #anyway I think about these two a lot I think they're both stone faced and awkward ppl in different ways but they try rly hard to be friends #like I like to think it starts out so incredibly awkward and a bit sad bc they keep stepping over each other's toes accidentally the harder #they try but idk they find comfy middle ground idk in my brain they have a very interesting friendship I wanna get around to drawing it #in a proper way that might make sense....#if I don't write 200 tags I will die maybe it's bc I grew up on dA or smth #and yes I know how to find 1 (one) type of mushroom /I/ am not mushroom girl unfortunately smh

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uncanny-tranny · 7 months

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Basically, my philosophy around disability fakers is: I would rather a thousand people fake a disability than have one disabled person suffer without care, aids, compassion, or any help.

#disability #disability advocacy #and there's a difference not many people seem to recognize between faking and realizing you don't have [x] problem...#...such as realizing you don't have [x] disorder because it is instead [y] disorder...#...or you haven't completely understood your care needs/your symptoms/what helps you...#...and some people see ANY change in your understanding of your disability as proof of maliciously faking...#...when i suppose in my personal experience people don't *maliciously* fake disability...#...i'm not saying it could never happen but that i don't think it's the *only* thing motivating people called fakers #i just think (like most everything) this is complex and nuanced because it's a *human* experience #like for me personally i /know/ i still have a lot to learn about my disabilities...#...like... i realized recently that my hands shouldn't be in AGONY when warm water is ran over them when it's SLIGHTLY cold inside or out...#...and i realized that i likely have a Noticable limb difference that needs checking out. does this sound like i'm faking...#...or that maybe i just didn't really explore my own needs and body because of a variety of factors?#i can assure you it is because i haven't really thought before about how i deserved to understand how to best help myself

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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youtube

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

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gojostan-doodles · 3 months

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🩷 *Talks a lot*

💜 *Likes to listen*

#amari is a flower nerd 🥹🩷#also my first full effort animation YIPPEE!#I'm still a beginner so I have a lot to learn #(as I was making it I kept learning new things about my animation program 😭)#but overall I'm happy with how it turned out #stardew valley #sdv sebastian #stardew valley sebastian #stardew valley oc #stardew valley farmer #farmer amari

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vaxxman · 3 months

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"STOP TAKING THE HEALTH KITS"

He ubered the scout after this.

Additional sketches and some ramblings under the cut.

This is based on an encounter I had the other day, when a demoman took a medkit before my medigun connected with him. When he saw my health was down to 21, he would force me to stand at the spawn point and guarded me until I was healed. Wherever you are now, if you read this, you were a good lad and I love you.

Sometimes I think about how medic is emotionally very invested in the missions (which shows in his voice when he shouts at his team), but off-duty and during friendly taunts he seems to be among the most giggly, and fun-loving mercenaries in the team. I like to think he can get agitated very fast, but cools down just as quickly.

#team fortress 2 #tf2 #tf2 medic #tf2 scout #I used to dislike Scout a lot (also because I keep getting flanked ingame) but I'm slowly learning to like him just as much as everyone els #I'm still doing the evil art challenge it's just this comic came to me in a vision this morning #Initially I wanted to put more emphasis on Medic's height difference to Scout because. I think it's easily forgotten that #he's among the taller guys in the team and he sounds very angry on the battlefield #If that isn't kinda intimidating I don't know what is #I like to think he shouts at his team mates a lot but after missions when he patches everyone up #everyone gets a lollipop #old habit of keeping candy at his office

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floccinaucinihilipilificationa · 1 year

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#selfie bee #me telling a coworker who I have been working with for 4 months and whose name I do not know about my toenails #i'm sorry Tobias (?? Paul ??) it was the only topic I could come up with after I already told you about the big bird I saw in 8th grade #FRIENDS how are you!! :) how has the new year been so far!!#did you have a lot of snow on christmas!#we did and it was really fun! I had a very bad cold so I just watched the snow from inside but that was good too c:#do you have any plans for the new year?#i always have lot and most of the time I do not do any of them but planning is fun #this year I REALLY want to watch all of Star Trek ヽ(´∇｀)ﾉ #I would also love to learn how to make a handstand #imagine if you could just make yourself upside down #but it is a far away dream because honestly I am not very good at being usual side up most of the time either #but I will try probably at least 2 times to learn it ( ᐛ )#maybe I'll finally finish that website!#new years are good and fun #it's wild to think about how much daily life has changed since last year but I feel just the same :)#who knows what this year will bring!#I hope I don't hit a pheasant with my car #I almost hit a pheasant with my car last year and the pheasant made direct eye contact #I wonder how he is doing today #since that moment I think about pheasants a lot #I knew they were real but I had never seen one #just to know they are out there is a mystical feeling #right know it is raining so all the pheasants might be wet #get dry soon pheasants!!#I don't think I've ever seen a wet bird either #I don't know what do do with all these birds thoughts #also thank you for the person who asked about my skirt!! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅#I've finished it and its really really bad #but I love it

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nosnexus · 6 months

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Archmage Lazuli Rocks and some futures

Huevember day 17

#d20 #dimension 20 #dimension 20 fanart #lazuli rocks #a crown of candy #huevember 2023 #my art #this took so long #I was absolutely bonkers for trying to fully render this #but I'm learning a lot with all these pieces

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chalkrub · 1 month

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been doodling some bri'ish wildlife - love seeing these guys. because they are the classics aren't they?

#my art #animal art #illustration #''love seeing these guys'' has only ever seen 6 of them #as if the elusive dormouse would ever grace my presence. and i still doubt the existence of snakes in england #drew the fox and pheasant because they're symbolic for two of my silly ocs then was like why not make a whole page of these suckers #lots of fun! if anyone's interested i'm gonna open up some slots to draw animals like this on kofi or something soon #can be pets etc. ocs too maybe but they'll be more expensive. not sure how much i'll charge for them but we shall see #lots of art to come...........i swear on it...........i'm about to go for a walk and maybe i will finally see a grass snake #(it's raining so this will not happen)#animals: ring necked pheasant. grass snake. european badger. red fox. barbastelle bat. mole. red squirrel. hazel dormouse. and hedgehawg #i had to compress this to hell it's so large #i need to take like a base photoshop class to learn how to actually use it cause the size of my files is actualy getting ridiculous #if i didn't compress this it would be 30 mb. this cannot be normal

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bobokitty · 8 months

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Castlevania: Nocturne is out, and I want to thank everyone for giving the show a chance! It's been an absolute blast working on Nocturne and seeing all the hard work and passion that went into it. Everyone worked their butts off!! Ahahaha I had more to say but I'm too full of emotions to process words well ;;^ w ^

Anywho here's a bonus doodle of these dorks <3

#castlevania #castlevania nocturne #netflix #powerhouse animation #work stuff #fanart #richter belmont #annette #maria renard #edouard #for real tho #thank you for watching the show #i couldn't have asked for a better team to work with #this is legit the first job i've ever liked in my life #it's been so much fun despite being a lot of work #and i'm always learning something new

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nezhanetwork · 8 months

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have some grian sketches while i'm trying to convince myself that it's okay to draw just for the process itself. not everything has to be perfect and meaningful!

#hermitcraft #grian #my art #nezha talks #i used to draw him a lot just to relax but ceased to #perhaps out of fear that if my art doesn't have some unique idea it's worth nothing #but i'm learning to take it easy!

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staticwaffles · 1 year

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