#job portal scripts

[voizac-technologies]

In India, the demand for job portal scripts in India has grown exponentially due to the country’s booming job market. Companies across industries are leveraging these tools to create a seamless hiring experience. 

[logicspicesoftware]

Transforming Recruitment with Advanced Job Portal Solutions

Finding the right talent quickly and efficiently is a top priority for any organization. As the hiring landscape grows more competitive, businesses, recruitment agencies, and startups need innovative digital tools to attract, screen, and secure the best candidates. Job portal software offers the flexibility and power to streamline the entire recruitment process, making it easier than ever to connect employers with qualified candidates. Whether you're a small business, a large organization, or a startup, using a white label job portal script can help you stand out in the competitive world of hiring.

What is Job Portal Software?

Job portal software provides a digital platform where employers can post job openings, and candidates can search for and apply for positions that fit their skills and experience. While some platforms are developed from scratch, a job portal script is a pre-built framework that can be customized to fit specific needs, offering a cost-effective way to build a fully functional job board without the expense and time commitment of creating one from scratch.

Key Features and Benefits of Job Portal Script Software

Customization for Brand Identity With white-label job board software, you can easily customize the platform to reflect your brand’s unique style and identity. This approach is great for companies looking to build their own branded job portal without the hassle of designing everything from the ground up.

Streamlined Hiring Process A well-designed job portal script allows businesses to manage the entire hiring process, from posting job openings to tracking candidate applications. With features like advanced search filters, resume screening, and application tracking, job portal software saves time and improves hiring efficiency.

Mobile-Friendly for Today’s Workforce The demand for mobile accessibility continues to grow, and job seekers increasingly expect to apply from their smartphones. Investing in job portal app development lets businesses reach a wider audience by providing a mobile-friendly platform that makes it easy for candidates to search and apply on the go.

Scalable and Adaptable A job portal script is highly adaptable, making it a scalable solution for businesses that anticipate growth. Whether you're adding new features, expanding to new markets, or increasing your user base, this software grows with you, making it ideal for both startups and established companies.

Secure and Reliable Data security is a top priority in any software handling user data. A reliable job portal script software prioritizes security, ensuring that sensitive candidate and employer information is protected. This allows companies to offer a safe, trustworthy platform for users.

Who Can Benefit from Job Portal Software?

Recruitment Agencies: Streamline the hiring process, post multiple job openings, and manage applications with ease.

Corporate Hiring Departments: A tailored job board within the company’s ecosystem helps HR teams manage hiring more efficiently.

Entrepreneurs and Startups: Looking to build a niche job board? White label job board software allows new businesses to enter the market with a fully functional job platform.

Education Institutions: Colleges and universities can use job portal software to provide students and alumni with exclusive access to job postings.

Why Choose a White-Label Solution?

White label job board software is a flexible, cost-effective choice for those who want to launch a branded job portal quickly. It comes with pre-built features and can be customized to suit your business needs, saving both time and money while maintaining full control over your brand image.

Ready to Build Your Job Portal?

A job portal script is an opportunity to enhance your hiring process and connect with the right talent. With a scalable, secure, and mobile-friendly solution, you can build a job platform that serves your unique needs and grows with your business. Start your journey toward a more efficient recruitment process with job portal software designed to match your goals and brand identity.

[castielsprostate]

french mistake but it's deadpool and wolverine. they're portal hopping for some case, doing a merc side job for paradox without asking questions or wondering why he's still in any form of power, and the temp pad starts glitching and they fall through a sugar sugar glass panel.

cut, lunch break, they get dusted off by the make-up crew and get the scripts pushed into their hands. wade realises it, logan gets incredibly upset reading "hugh jackman" and has his claws unsheathing. wade starts hitting the temp pad but it's far beyond busted, muttering about needing to get out before it turns into the plot of the french mistake in supernatural as logan notices he's wearing eyeliner and lipgloss in the mirror

it turns into the plot of french mistake supernatural. wade steals ryan's pink and fluffy diary, logan finds out "he" is dating max verstappen, and channing tatum gets killed by the shapeshifter they were hunting whilst logan and wade were frenching in ryan's trailor

they get brought back by laura and peter messing around with a remote she stole from the TVA on a "take your child to work day"

[r0-boat]

Hello! I hope ur well. I’m abit new to Tumblr and stumbled across ur blog because the Submas content :3.

If you still do requests rn, and something ur comfy with, could I ask for Self Aware AU Ingo discovering his newfound consciousness interacting with reader who play Pokémon Masters? Maybe the reader struggles with self-esteem/depression and Ingo comforts them completely by surprise after a rough day? (Sorry it’s a mouthful to read lol, I appreciate ya!)

-🪴 anon

😭 ingo just wanting to comfort you.

Self aware Ingo x depressed!reader

Hi, just a little reminder before we get started here: if you're ever feeling thoughts of self-esteem or issues with depression, please know that you are loved, and you are beautiful on the inside and out! Make sure you eat a snack and drink some water while reading this.

If this ever made your day even a little bit better, then I did my job, and thank you for reading!

He didn't know when or how he gained consciousness. All he remembered was the first thing he saw when he "woke up" familiar faces in a usual place, the calm music that the Pokemon Center plays every night. Pokemon was standing right next to him, but as his eyes looked forward into what he perceived was a giant portal created by Palkia and Dialga themselves. And a smiling face looking down upon the world he inhabited.

He had thought you were one of Arceus's angels, and this was about a dream, but soon, he had realized that only half was the case.

It all seemed to click who you were. You are not some dead fish-eyed child with a robotic Pikachu like what this world had portrayed you as no far from; instead of that kid with the permanent smile, you always seem to have a tired look on your face with either a small half-smile or a Blank Stare. But to Ingo, he always preferred to you behind the screen. Even when you were no longer watching the world, he could still hear your faint voice going about your day. You seemed more lively and more human than the blank slated avatar they gave you. How could he not be drawn to you even though you seem so sad? Your eyes and your being just seem so full of life that he felt an urge to protect and care for you.

Even though the fake Island had tons of people and, he felt more alone than he ever did, especially when he realized he was the only one different from the rest. He can't help but respond to every little question or reaction in his head, afraid of what you might do if he ever breaks away from the game's script.

But on a particular day that was a rough one for you mentally and physically, when Ingo saw you opening up the app instead of that same expression, your eyes were red from crying. No, you were still crying. His heart sank. If he could, if he could touch you, he would hold you close and Whisper nothing but good things in your ear until you calm down, but he can't do that. He couldn't do anything!! He felt sick with worry as he watched you cry, your lip quivering as you vent to yourself, saying the most horrible things about yourself !! And for a moment, he threw away his worries of the consequences.

" Are you okay?"

A simple three-letter sentence that made you freeze; your heart's practically stopped as you didn't know that you were being watched. It took you a while for your brain to process who the voice was coming from, looking down at your phone to see your favorite character stare back. Huh... Odd you didn't know he had that line before.... and not only that, you didn't remember clicking on him. Usually, characters say their lines after you click on them, yet you don't even touch them. As you were Gathering your thoughts, Ingo spoke again.

" I truly wish I could wipe away those tears, I regretfully can't do much but if it helps tell me about your day and I'll listen."

Ingo speaks again... no text box appears; nothing; he just talked to you, mentioning your crying. In that first moment, you didn't know how you felt. Your favorite character coming to life and talking to you was almost a dream come true, but the thought just seemed so impossible and unrealistic that you doubted the fact that you were awake. And your feelings are already all over the place, having no one to turn to, no one to comfort you, craving that comfort, your heart exploded. You can't stop the tears rolling down your face, even if is just a dream; what a beautiful dream it is.

"I-i don't know." You stuttered you were far too gone to even articulate what you are feeling all your emotions swelling for the past month or two bubbling up into a mess of emotion. You want us to tell him tell him that your day was crap tell him how crappy you looked right now tell him that he can't believe he saw you like this that your first meeting with your favorite character your favorite person in the world was like this red in the face tears falling from your red and puffy eyes.

But Ingo did not seem fazed; he was not disgusted, he was not angry at you. He understood if he was there if he wasn't trapped behind the screen, he would have wished you in his arms and laid his lips on your forehead. He knew how you felt; he listened to your angry ramblings about yourself; he listened to the times people had treated you like you were less than human or misused your kindness, manipulated and used you for their own gain. He wanted to hold you close, make you something you like, and tell you that the word you know about yourself is not true; he wanted to tell you how much you mean to him and how nice and loving you are, how kind and thoughtful and how gorgeous you were. Those people who mistreated you are not good people, and you deserve to be respected, you deserve happiness, and you deserve to be loved.

You deserve to be told that you're beautiful every day, to be made breakfast in bed and kissed at every waking moment. Because that's what he would do for you; that's what his heart ached for him to do.

But he did what he could do which was listen to your broken sobs as you pour your heart out.

" It sounds like you had quite a day... I wish I could do more than just listen and speak to you, but what I can do is tell you what the things you say about yourself is not true... and I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Could you stay with me for a while? I wish to talk to you, and we start from the beginning, shall we? Now, my dear, please tell me what's bothering you and wipe away those tears. Pretend that it's my fingers swiping across your eyes."

His voice, usually loud and booming, was surprisingly soft, warm, and welcoming. From his calming voice to your Outburst earlier, you felt your heart slow down and your tears dry as you wipe them from your face; those steel gray eyes light up for a moment when he sees just a piece of a smile flicker on your lips.

" there's that smile~"

[ckret2]

Your goldilocks cipher stuff gives me an unreal amount of dopamine (maybe i just like bill a lot idk) do you have any fun tidbits and details about the au that wouldn’t be too spoilery?

Thank you!! Here's a bunch of random trivia:

The (English) name of Bill's language's written script is Plaintext. Like, y'know, plaintext:

In cryptography, plaintext usually means unencrypted information pending input into cryptographic algorithms, usually encryption algorithms. This usually refers to data that is transmitted or stored unencrypted.

Which is ironic, since Bill's the ONLY person to whom the text is unencrypted. But then, from his perspective, it's the only "unencrypted" text he ever actually sees—all the languages he uses in day-to-day life are foreign languages to him.

In the Bill Cipher AMA, somebody asks Bill what he thinks about all the fangirls he has, and Bill says they should all go to the Nevada desert and assemble a throne to wait for him. In fic, I've decided it'd be funny to give him a women-only cult in Nevada. The leader of the cult is named Mary and the underling most often referenced is Sue, because—and I say this with love and affection—if "fangirl who's put in a fic so she can meet her favorite tumblr sexyman" ISN'T a textbook Mary Sue, I don't know what is.

Bill really likes monster trucks. He's convinced himself that he'd be a TERRIFIC monster truck driver, because he can see the future, so obviously he'd know how to avoid any car crashes. He's probably wrong about this. It's a more physically taxing job than you'd think, and a human body is more easily taxed than he's used to.

Current favorite human food is nachos with sprinkles on top. Gotta be triangular nachos. If the chips are circular or rectangular it will legit depress him. Also plain old cheese is boring, give it some texture, it's gotta have peppers hot enough to kill a toddler.

Sometimes Bill talks to Waddles as if he's speaking to the Temporarily Genius Waddles and expects him to understand what Bill's saying.

If Bill's watching a show/movie and doesn't want to spoil the ending for himself he has to fight NOT to glance into the future to see what happens. Imagine if every time you read a comic book, all of the pages automatically separated and spread out across the table so you could see every page at once, and you had to keep resisting the urge to glance at the last page to see what happens. That's what trying not to glance forward is like for Bill.

Nobody's commented on this yet, so idk if anyone's caught it, but in chapter 2:

He carefully positioned himself directly in front of the trio, glancing down at the floor as if looking for the right mark to step on,

and in chapter 3:

Mabel considered his feet thoughtfully before spray painting an X where she estimated he’d been standing before.

“You got lucky—” he cast a dirty look at the X spray painted on the ground, “—but luck changes.”

In chapter 2 Bill saw the X on the floor in the future, and assumed he was going to leave it for himself so he'd know where he should stand for his big dramatic moment—which means he deliberately planted himself RIGHT on the mark where the twins were set up to tackle. (Even though he can see into the future, his time vision is pretty near-sighted.)

Bill NEARLY invaded the M Dimension mentioned in Journal 3—he was playing "muse" to a whole bunch of scientists and governmental types who were all collaborating, everybody liked him, nobody suspected anything, they were thrilled by the idea of opening up interdimensional travel to his totally-harmless-and-not-at-all-nightmarish realm so their muse could visit... the only reason he hasn't already conquered the M Dimension is because everything there, even the laws of physics, are based on the letter M, and for the life of him he couldn't find a way to adapt the portal blueprints to work there. The math's impossible.

Bill's the only member of the Henchmaniacs who's unable to leave the Nightmare Realm. (As in, physically can't leave. Legally, most of them are pretty trapped there for lack of another safe place to go; but like they could leave if they chose to.) Sometimes he sends his Henchmaniacs on errands for him to other dimensions; and sometimes they go on day trips outside the Nightmare Realm without him. When they leave he tends to sulk and insist he isn't sulking.

Nobody in the shack knows about Ford's embarrassing neck tattoo. (And it was REALLY hard keeping that secret on a boat.) Nobody, that is, except for Bill, who spent last summer stalking everyone in the shack and who can see through walls, seeing through a turtleneck is nothing. Someday he's gonna start casually humming All Star and strike terror into Ford's heart.

There's a handful of human languages Bill can't speak because the speakers cursed him to be unable to speak them. I don't know which languages yet, I'd probably need to do a lot of digging to find languages about which there's already "demons/monsters/etc can't speak/understand this language" folklore I can slap on him. But it's a joke I'm prepared to use if I find a language that fits.

Bill thinks it's weird that humans want their hands and hair to smell like food, but then don't even want to eat them. What's the point of strawberry-scented shampoo???

[amyriadfthings]

[Have the whole interview]

The Projectionist

With Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal, It’s All About Chemistry

After “Fleabag” and “Normal People” made them romantic idols, the two actors forge their own tender bond in “All of Us Strangers.”

“Have you seen the sausage ad?” Andrew Scott asked me.

“No, no, we’re not going to talk about that,” Paul Mescal said.

It was a mid-November morning in Los Angeles, and I was having breakfast with two actors who have created some of the most indelible romantic leads of recent vintage: Scott, 47, played the “Hot Priest” on the second season of “Fleabag,” while the 27-year-old Mescal broke through — and broke hearts — as the conflicted jock Connell in Hulu’s “Normal People.”

Now, instead of aiming those love beams at women, they’ll point them at each other in the drama “All of Us Strangers,” due Dec. 22 in theaters. It’s like an Avengers-level team-up, if the Avengers recruited exclusively from the ranks of sad-eyed Irish heartthrobs who caused a sensation over the 2019-20 television season.

But before we could talk about their sexy, shattering new movie, Scott gently ribbed his co-star about an ad for an Irish sausage brand, Denny, that Mescal had starred in just out of drama school. (Though the rest of the world was introduced to Mescal in “Normal People,” Ireland already knew him from the ubiquitous sausage commercial.)

“Look, I needed that job in a massive way,” Mescal said. “That paid my rent for the rest of the year. But if I could take it back …”

“Ah, no, it’s lovely you have that!” Scott said. “I actually thought the character you created in the sausage ad was …”

“… career defining?” Mescal offered.

“It made me want a sausage!” Scott said a little too eagerly, causing both men to laugh. “Easy, folks, that’s too easy a joke,” Mescal said.

Scott and Mescal’s teasing, affectionate chemistry is put to excellent use in “All of Us Strangers,” directed by Andrew Haigh (“Weekend,” “45 Years”). Scott stars as Adam, a lonely writer who finds that his childhood home has become a mysterious portal that allows him to reconnect with his long-dead parents (played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell). At the same time as Adam grapples with this past made manifestly present, he navigates an uncertain but tantalizing future with his neighbor Harry (Mescal), with whom he develops an intense romantic bond.

Over breakfast, we discussed the movie, which recently took the top prize at the British Independent Film Awards in addition to wins for directing, writing and Mescal’s supporting performance. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.

Andrew, you were attached to this movie first. How did you feel when Paul was cast?

SCOTT I was really thrilled because I was hoping that people would be able to see how cinematic and brilliant that role is.

MESCAL It never occurred to me that people wouldn’t be interested in it.

SCOTT Well, the character is such a vessel for love. To be able to play love, it’s something that you have to just know how to embody, and Paul is so excellent about being able to allow the audience in. When I heard he was interested, I was saying to Andrew, “Make that happen!”

MESCAL Even if I didn’t like the script or Andrew Haigh as much as I do, and I knew Andrew [Scott] was going to be doing the film, I still would have done the film.

SCOTT Would you?

MESCAL A hundred percent. And I know that probably sounds sycophantic, but when I was reading it and imagining you’d do it, I thought, “This is built for an actor of your caliber.” There’s lots of brilliant dramatic actors in the world, but what I think separates Andrew is his capacity to understand the dramatic requirements of a scene but also to play utterly against it. He finds humor in subject matter like this, which is really quite heavy, and if you can make an audience laugh, you’re halfway to making them cry.

This is a very tactile movie, too.

SCOTT There’s so much touching, whether that’s familial touching or a more sensual thing. People have talked an awful lot about the chemistry and the sex between our characters, but actually what I think is really radical and affecting about the relationship is how affectionate and tender they are with each other. It’s such a beautiful thing to play, isn’t it? Just real care.

MESCAL I find it healing to watch that kind of emotional intimacy. I remember being surprised when we watched it for the first time, because I didn’t remember being so close to your face when we were talking, how we were totally taking each other in. There’s a weird thing that I don’t think you can cheat: You know how when somebody you love is talking to you, and you look at their lips? It’s like, Jesus, I can’t remember doing that.

Andrew, you’ve said before that acting is a matter of revealing. What’s being revealed about you by taking on this role?

SCOTT I think an awful lot, if I’m honest. I’m happy to be able to say that to be emancipated from shame has been genuinely the biggest achievement of my life. For a long time, I have felt very comfortable with myself, but it doesn’t take much to go back there — something a taxi driver can say can still wound you. If he might say, “You’ve got a wife?” You could go, “No, I don’t,” or is that sort of a lie by omission? I think the challenge was to undo the work and go to that place where you feel frightened.

How were you able to emancipate yourself from shame?

SCOTT I genuinely think that acting helped me. When I was a kid, I started doing elocution lessons because I had a really bad lisp. “She sells seashells,” I had to say that 17 times a day. So they sent me to elocution, which was boring, but eventually it was speech and drama classes. I was so shy and terrified, but then someone would say, “Get up and do an improvisation,” and some part of me felt …

MESCAL … free?

SCOTT Free, and I loved it. And then I practiced it a little bit more and then started doing it as a job. When I was 18 or 19, I was playing gay parts but I wasn’t out. A lot of people within the industry were queer, so I was surrounded by them and then, bit by bit, started to feel confident. To make something like [“All of Us Strangers”], it moves me, because I never thought that I’d get a chance to expose myself so much in a film like this or for it to be in such a trusting environment with such brilliant colleagues.

And do you rush headlong into the chance to expose yourself like that?

SCOTT I do. It’s my responsibility. The further I go into acting, I think that’s all it is, actually.

In the first scene you share, Paul’s character is boldly trying to flirt his way into Andrew’s apartment. Paul, it’s a kick to see you play a man so assertive and sure of what he wants.

MESCAL I was just so giddy because I don’t think I’ve got many opportunities to play somebody like that. It reminded me of characters I would have played in drama school — a lot more front-footed, a little bit bolder. Part of it was surprising an audience that might associate me with more interior, back-footed characters that I’ve played.

SCOTT I remember so clearly you saying the line, “There’s vampires at my door.” That line could seem completely preposterous and it’s a hard sell, but it’s unique, right? I’m obsessed with writing that has a real autograph about it.

MESCAL ChatGPT wouldn’t come up with that.

SCOTT Exactly. And human beings have an extraordinary way of expressing themselves. I feel the same way when people talk about big acting.

MESCAL I love big acting.

SCOTT Some people do that kind of polite, nobody-will-notice-me acting, and sometimes it can be a little dull.

MESCAL You’re looking for an opportunity to play something truthfully, but also if that truth can be a bigger, more fractious choice, maybe that could be fun.

What’s the biggest acting you’ve ever done?

SCOTT Oh my God. Pick a card, any card. I did a play called “Present Laughter” by Noël Coward, about a guy who’s an over-the-top actor. It was kind of a farce, and I’m obsessed with farce.

MESCAL I am so jealous of people who can do farce, I don’t know where I would start.

SCOTT It’s all about timing the slam of the door, and there’s no greater feeling than when you’re talking to the other actor and you are waiting for the audience to stop laughing. You’d love it because it’s so physical as well.

MESCAL I’m just a bit scared of comedy because I didn’t do a lot of it in drama school. Don’t think [I’ve got] a particularly funny disposition.

SCOTT Are you out of your mind? I’m going to have a little think now.

MESCAL I’d love to do a rom-com.

SCOTT I think you’d be very good at playing some sort of neurotic.

MESCAL Really?

SCOTT Yeah. I love those kinds of characters that don’t have a sense of humor.

MESCAL No sense of humor. Great. I can do that, I can do that easily. [Laughs.]

With “Normal People” and “Fleabag,” where you played romantic leads, how did you handle the intensity of the audience imprinting on you?

MESCAL I remember the first couple of months of that happening, I was like, “Jesus, what can I do?” And the answer is actually nothing. There’s nothing you can do about it if somebody wants to imprint or project onto you.

SCOTT That was all during the pandemic, wasn’t it?

MESCAL Yeah, yeah.

Was it better or worse that you were in your house for most of it?

MESCAL Much, much better. Even doing junkets when “Normal People” came out, I was really glad to do it within the confines of my own home. I could put the laptop down and nobody knew where I was.

Andrew, you weren’t trapped at home when “Fleabag” came out. Could you tell something had changed in the way people perceived you?

SCOTT It already happened a little bit when I did “Sherlock” [playing Moriarty] because that really does have a fandom. There were like a thousand people that would come to set, it was absolutely insane.

MESCAL Jesus.

SCOTT So “Fleabag" was completely different in that sense. It didn’t have the same frenzy.

Maybe not as you were filming it, but there was definitely a passionate fandom once it was released.

SCOTT There was, but I really enjoyed that because I love the show. I’m so proud of it and I loved that part, so I liked that it really affected people so much.

MESCAL Still! I watch it once a year.

Paul, you even dressed as the hot priest for Halloween.

MESCAL I did. That went down a bit of a storm.

When you have a breakthrough project like those two series, and you’re seen differently in this business afterward, is it hard not to get swept up by all the offers that come your way?

MESCAL I know what I like. I don’t have the confidence in myself as an actor to do something that isn’t good. I don’t think I can pull the wool over people’s eyes with bells and whistles in terms of performance, and I’m actually glad I can’t do that.

SCOTT But is it weird when you are in L.A. now? I opened up my curtains this morning, and there you are.

MESCAL Yeah, my Gucci billboard.

SCOTT That’s insane.

MESCAL It is bananas. Yeah, I’m really proud of that, but I’m also acutely aware the only reason that’s happening is because people are enjoying the work that I’m doing. It can all disappear, like that.

Paul, you’re currently working on Ridley Scott’s sequel to “Gladiator.” I’m sure you’ve been pursued for a lot of blockbusters, so what made you choose this one?

MESCAL I love the first film and I think Ridley is an all-time great, so that was a no-brainer to me. I don’t really have a desire to make lots of big films in my life, but if this was the only big film I was ever to make, I would put my name into the mix anywhere for that. I’m having a great time doing it, but I also think there’s an obligation to understand that I don’t want an audience to get bored of me, or expect me to do the big indie film every year or two, because they’re really hard to get right.

Which is hard to get right, the big film or the indie?

MESCAL A film like “All of Us Strangers” or “Aftersun.” I’ve been incredibly lucky that those scripts came across my desk because there’s lots of other indies that are really well intentioned that don’t reach an audience. Also, it’s hard to go to the emotional well year after year with stuff like this, so I don’t want an audience to get bored of my choices or expect that I’m going to do that.

SCOTT Do you remember you got the “Gladiator” call when we were on the set of “All of Us Strangers”? You were so excited. I think I was even more excited, but you were so lit up about it. I think one of the fun things about being an actor that’s open to you is that you can do whatever you really want.

MESCAL That’s what makes you tick, to go from scenes like we get to play in “All of Us Strangers” to then doing stuff where you’re running around in an arena. If I was to boil down why I love this job, it’s that you get to go to work and pretend all day long but the thing that you would imagine as a child is actually actualized.

SCOTT Have there been any moments in “Gladiator” where you’re like, “This is amazing”?

MESCAL The first day was just bananas. There was camels and thousands of extras. Two close-ups on me. A close-up on the action. And you’re just like, “I’ve got to fake this till I make it.” Wild. Wild. Wild.

SCOTT Yeah, it’s playing. It really is. You’re required to play a part, you’re not required to work a part.

It’s heartening to hear you both describe acting as play or pretend. You talk about it in such joyful terms, but some of the other leading men I’ve spoken to will …

MESCAL … fetishize the pain.

SCOTT It embarrasses them.

MESCAL It’s important to say that “pretend” doesn’t make it any less emotional or difficult to do, but I think it actually gives you a greater range of possibility in a scene. That’s not to say there weren’t days on [“All of Us Strangers”] that felt like some sort of psychological torture.

SCOTT Absolutely.

MESCAL But the act of making it? It can’t be that, because then it just becomes about “How hard can I grip this table? How much pain can I put myself through in order to talk about it to the press?”

SCOTT I think of it sometimes like you invited somebody around for dinner and you said, “I could not find any organic chicken in the market, it was an absolute nightmare. Then I had to hoover the place from top to bottom.” And they’re just like, “Give me a glass of wine. I don’t want to hear about what you did, I’m just here for dinner.”

MESCAL Yeah, that’s spot on.

SCOTT What you need to do is have the generosity to get the chicken out.

MESCAL Organic or not.

Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and serves as The Projectionist, the awards season columnist for The Times. He is the author of “Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road.” More about Kyle Buchanan

A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 7, 2023, Section C, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Two Hearts Beating As One. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

[nuttersincorporated]

A Day in the Life of Robot Seventeen

Hi @genericdragon I’m your @portal-secret-santa! Sorry, that your present is a little late.

I’ve written you a short fanfic about the Robot Seventeen (previously the Protocol Core) from The Underground. I hope you like it.

Title: A Day in the Life of Robot Seventeen

Summary: Robot Seventeen tries to remember who they used to be. They do as they're told but not always what the Mainframe wants them to do.

Word Count: 1,126

Characters: Robot Seventeen AKA the Protocol Core, the Mainframe AKA Cave Johnson, the Ego Core and the Optimism Core. The Interview Core AKA Sifter Seven, Robots Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four (the Paranoia and Friendship Cores) are mentioned but don’t appear.

AO3 Link: Here

Author’s Note: I love Portal extended fan lore. I’d somehow never come across The Underground before so thank you for introducing me to it!

A Day in the Life of Robot Seventeen

Robot Seventeen’s life was a living Android Hell. They wondered if that was where they were. It would certainly explain a lot. They couldn’t remember their old life very well but they knew it had been very different from this.

In reality, they knew it made no difference if this was Android Hell or not. It didn’t change anything about their situation one way or the other.

Seventeen braced themselves as much as they could before stepping into the Mainframe Chamber. They dragged a mop and bucket over to the coolant leak on the floor and began cleaning.

They worked as quickly as their stiff limbs would allow. It still wasn’t particularly fast but it was the best that they could manage. It was a bad idea to spend too much time in the Mainframe Chamber. It risked drawing unwanted attention.

Above them, Seventeen heard the Mainframe sigh in annoyance. They tried not to react. The Mainframe had eyes almost everywhere. There was no reason to believe that his irritation was directed at Seventeen specifically.

“Seventeen!” the Mainframe snapped. They froze. So much for this not being the subject of the Mainframe’s anger. “When you’re done mopping up, go throw Sifter Seven into the incinerator. He’s gone off script again.”

‘No, please not that!’ Seventeen wanted to argue. They didn’t want to hurt anyone. They looked up for a moment and tried to chitter back some sort of answer but… they couldn’t.

They should have known better. When had been done to them when they’d been turned into this, their programming it didn’t allow them to disobey orders or talk back.

They looked down at the black coolant sludge on the floor and began mopping again. This time, they didn’t bother trying to get the job done quickly. In fact, they began working as slowly as they dared.

It wasn’t much but it was the only small act of resistance they were still able to make. However, if they were too slow, the Mainframe would tell them to go faster and they’d have to obey.

Luckly, one of the cores hooked up to the Mainframe (the one that seemed to think a lot of himself), distracted the Mainframe by questioning his order, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“How many times have I have told you to shut up?” the Mainframe asked irritably.

As they continued slowly mopping, Seventeen listened to the conversation going on above them.

“I know,” the self-important core answered nervously. “It’s just… it’s just that Bran… I mean Sifter Seven is your best sifter.”

“That’s ridiculous! None of the others go off script this much.”

“You have twenty-three sifters working nonstop but Seven is the only one who’s given you any cores you’ve liked enough to incorporate into yourself,” the egotistical core – Onathan, Robot Seventeen’s fractured memory corrected – pointed out. “Obviously, he had some luck because I was one of the cores he happened to sift. Nevertheless, none of the others have given you any suitable cores at all.”

“Hmm, much as I hate to admit it, you do have a point,” the Mainframe grudgingly admitted. “Seventeen, don’t throw Seven into the incinerator. When you’re done mopping, just give him a good defrag again instead.”

Seventeen’s eye momentarily shone slightly brighter, in relief. It was the closest thing they had to a smile. Luckly, this went unnoticed.

Above them, Onathan let out a relieved sigh. In a slightly manic voice, the peppy core said, “I like him! Just stay positive and I’m sure he can do an even better job of finding new friends to join us!”

“Both of you, be quiet! I can’t stand your constant jabbering. If you don’t stop talking, I’ll disconnect you and find someone else to fill your spots.”

Both cores stopped talking immediately.

Seventeen didn’t look up but they could feel Onathan and… Onathan and… the Happy Core? They could feel Onathan and the other core looking down at them and dreading meeting their same fate.

Seventeen didn’t blame them. They knew they were seen as the lowest of the low, even among the other repurposed robots.

At best, the other repurposed robots left them alone. At worst, they actively took pleasure in making Seventeen’s life even worse than it already was.

Robots Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four were the closest thing Seventeen had to friends and they both mostly ignored them.

Twenty-Four seemed to struggle with even the simplest of tasks but it didn’t matter. Twenty-Three worked hard to fix any mistakes he made. Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four seemed happy enough in their new lives, as long as they were near each other. They always worked as a team.

On the other hand, Robot Twenty-Two was particularly vindictive. She delighted in making Seventeen’s life as miserable and painful as possible. If they hadn’t heard Twenty-Two laughing maliciously while causing other cores pain, Seventeen would have suspected that Twenty-Two hated them specifically. As it was, they tried not to take it personally.

They continued slowly mopping and tried to recall their old life. It was all so hard to remember now but they knew that they hadn’t always been this way. Seventeen believed that they used to love following instructions the way they were intended to be followed. Maybe, they’d been the Rules Core? That seemed about right.

Whatever they had been before, more of their old memories and intelligence seemed to have survived the transformation than any of the other repurposed robots. Seventeen could sometimes creatively misinterpret their instructions and avoid doing what they were actually meant to do.

They were pretty sure everyone thought that they were stupid. That was fine by them. They preferred for everyone to think of them as dumb, rather than defiant. It was safer that way.

As Seventeen continued to mop the floor, they started to plan. Surely, it was only a matter of time before the Mainframe got angry at Sifter Seven again.

Sif… no, the Interview Core, they mentally corrected themselves. The Interview Core had a way of annoying the Mainframe like no one else. At some point, Seventeen knew they were going to be ordered to throw the Interview Core into the incinerator again and they’d be powerless to disobey.

Maybe, if they could find an incinerator tube out of sight of any camaras, they could put some netting just under the edge. That way, they could throw cores in without actually harming them. Then they could take them out again, all while technically following their orders.

“Hurry up, Seventeen!” the Mainframe shouted.

Seventeen started mopping quicker. They considered ‘accidently’ knocking over the bucket but decided against it. After all, they had a specific sort of incinerator tube to find and the sooner they started looking the better.

[thatsparrow]

post-honor among thieves thoughts

a delight!!

truly, a fun fantasy film with all the right blends of serious stakes and goofy missteps that is so emblematic of playing dnd

one of the things I was most curious about going into it was—given that so much of dnd is a) collaborative storytelling and b) ultimately determined by dice rolls, how would those elements of unpredictability translate to a scripted story? (which I suppose is not new to dnd-based media, there have been novels and the 80s show, but those aren't things that I've consumed.) and like. yes the story was pretty predictable overall, but I did like that there were moments of abject failure scattered throughout that really captured the vibe of rolling a nat 1 (it was also very fun to half-watch it through a lens of, oh, this person would be rolling a deception check right now. this person is succeeding then failing on a bunch of acrobatics checks, etc.)

it is. so very fun to me that bards are categorically also spellcasters, and yet they did not let chris pine do one damn magical thing, that lute was a melee weapon only

michelle rodriguez barbarian my beloved (also like, in terms of balancing references to the game with still making the movie accessible, part of me was expecting/hoping to see some visual indication of her going into a rage, but I did like that they didn't tip the hand quite that much while still making clear during fight scenes that, oh, she definitely has some rage-fueled strength right now that is allowing her to yeet a dude across a courtyard)

seeing all the spells and wildshaping was incredibly fucking cool!! that may have been the bit I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint—doric's whole infiltration and then escape of the castle was so good. the displacer beasts. the mimics!

sir that's just a portal gun

the comp het was so funny. look, I really loved both justice smith and sophia lillis but cmon guys. there was nothing there

although speaking of, edgin and holga as determinedly platonic best friends raising a child together was an absolute delight—the bit when edgin says to kira like 'I'm not trying to bring back your mom but my wife' bc yeah!! kira's mom is already right there!!

halfling bradley cooper having a clear type of 'women twice my size who could break me in half' is so valid

god paladin regé-jean page be still my heart (although yeah, the paladin as a straight-laced LG humorless type is not the only way to interpret the class, but I thought it did make for a nice contrast w the rest of the party)

but also his armor! I thought the costumers did a great job of giving them all designs/looks that spoke to their classes. truly, the visuals of the whole movie were so cool—not just in terms of the aesthetics, but the framing and movement of the shots, too. very dynamic, very fun to watch

overall, a genuinely good time!!

[denimbex1986]

'“Have you seen the sausage ad?” Andrew Scott asked me.

“No, no, we’re not going to talk about that,” Paul Mescal said.

It was a mid-November morning in Los Angeles, and I was having breakfast with two actors who have created some of the most indelible romantic leads of recent vintage: Scott, 47, played the “Hot Priest” on the second season of “Fleabag,” while the 27-year-old Mescal broke through — and broke hearts — as the conflicted jock Connell in Hulu’s “Normal People.”

Now, instead of aiming those love beams at women, they’ll point them at each other in the drama “All of Us Strangers,” due Dec. 22 in theaters. It’s like an Avengers-level team-up, if the Avengers recruited exclusively from the ranks of sad-eyed Irish heartthrobs who caused a sensation over the 2019-20 television season.

But before we could talk about their sexy, shattering new movie, Scott gently ribbed his co-star about an ad for an Irish sausage brand, Denny, that Mescal had starred in just out of drama school. (Though the rest of the world was introduced to Mescal in “Normal People,” Ireland already knew him from the ubiquitous sausage commercial.)

“Look, I needed that job in a massive way,” Mescal said. “That paid my rent for the rest of the year. But if I could take it back …”

“Ah, no, it’s lovely you have that!” Scott said. “I actually thought the character you created in the sausage ad was …”

“… career defining?” Mescal offered.

“It made me want a sausage!” Scott said a little too eagerly, causing both men to laugh. “Easy, folks, that’s too easy a joke,” Mescal said.

Scott and Mescal’s teasing, affectionate chemistry is put to excellent use in “All of Us Strangers,” directed by Andrew Haigh (“Weekend,” “45 Years”). Scott stars as Adam, a lonely writer who finds that his childhood home has become a mysterious portal that allows him to reconnect with his long-dead parents (played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell). At the same time as Adam grapples with this past made manifestly present, he navigates an uncertain but tantalizing future with his neighbor Harry (Mescal), with whom he develops an intense romantic bond.

Over breakfast, we discussed the movie, which recently took the top prize at the British Independent Film Awards in addition to wins for directing, writing and Mescal’s supporting performance. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.

Andrew, you were attached to this movie first. How did you feel when Paul was cast?

SCOTT I was really thrilled because I was hoping that people would be able to see how cinematic and brilliant that role is.

MESCAL It never occurred to me that people wouldn’t be interested in it.

SCOTT Well, the character is such a vessel for love. To be able to play love, it’s something that you have to just know how to embody, and Paul is so excellent about being able to allow the audience in. When I heard he was interested, I was saying to Andrew, “Make that happen!”

MESCAL Even if I didn’t like the script or Andrew Haigh as much as I do, and I knew Andrew [Scott] was going to be doing the film, I still would have done the film.

SCOTT Would you?

MESCAL A hundred percent. And I know that probably sounds sycophantic, but when I was reading it and imagining you’d do it, I thought, “This is built for an actor of your caliber.” There’s lots of brilliant dramatic actors in the world, but what I think separates Andrew is his capacity to understand the dramatic requirements of a scene but also to play utterly against it. He finds humor in subject matter like this, which is really quite heavy, and if you can make an audience laugh, you’re halfway to making them cry.

This is a very tactile movie, too.

SCOTT There’s so much touching, whether that’s familial touching or a more sensual thing. People have talked an awful lot about the chemistry and the sex between our characters, but actually what I think is really radical and affecting about the relationship is how affectionate and tender they are with each other. It’s such a beautiful thing to play, isn’t it? Just real care.

MESCAL I find it healing to watch that kind of emotional intimacy. I remember being surprised when we watched it for the first time, because I didn’t remember being so close to your face when we were talking, how we were totally taking each other in. There’s a weird thing that I don’t think you can cheat: You know how when somebody you love is talking to you, and you look at their lips? It’s like, Jesus, I can’t remember doing that.

Andrew, you’ve said before that acting is a matter of revealing. What’s being revealed about you by taking on this role?

SCOTT I think an awful lot, if I’m honest. I’m happy to be able to say that to be emancipated from shame has been genuinely the biggest achievement of my life. For a long time, I have felt very comfortable with myself, but it doesn’t take much to go back there — something a taxi driver can say can still wound you. If he might say, “You’ve got a wife?” You could go, “No, I don’t,” or is that sort of a lie by omission? I think the challenge was to undo the work and go to that place where you feel frightened.

How were you able to emancipate yourself from shame?

SCOTT I genuinely think that acting helped me. When I was a kid, I started doing elocution lessons because I had a really bad lisp. “She sells seashells,” I had to say that 17 times a day. So they sent me to elocution, which was boring, but eventually it was speech and drama classes. I was so shy and terrified, but then someone would say, “Get up and do an improvisation,” and some part of me felt …

MESCAL … free?

SCOTT Free, and I loved it. And then I practiced it a little bit more and then started doing it as a job. When I was 18 or 19, I was playing gay parts but I wasn’t out. A lot of people within the industry were queer, so I was surrounded by them and then, bit by bit, started to feel confident. To make something like [“All of Us Strangers”], it moves me, because I never thought that I’d get a chance to expose myself so much in a film like this or for it to be in such a trusting environment with such brilliant colleagues.

And do you rush headlong into the chance to expose yourself like that?

SCOTT I do. It’s my responsibility. The further I go into acting, I think that’s all it is, actually.

In the first scene you share, Paul’s character is boldly trying to flirt his way into Andrew’s apartment. Paul, it’s a kick to see you play a man so assertive and sure of what he wants.

MESCAL I was just so giddy because I don’t think I’ve got many opportunities to play somebody like that. It reminded me of characters I would have played in drama school — a lot more front-footed, a little bit bolder. Part of it was surprising an audience that might associate me with more interior, back-footed characters that I’ve played.

SCOTT I remember so clearly you saying the line, “There’s vampires at my door.” That line could seem completely preposterous and it’s a hard sell, but it’s unique, right? I’m obsessed with writing that has a real autograph about it.

MESCAL ChatGPT wouldn’t come up with that.

SCOTT Exactly. And human beings have an extraordinary way of expressing themselves. I feel the same way when people talk about big acting.

MESCAL I love big acting.

SCOTT Some people do that kind of polite, nobody-will-notice-me acting, and sometimes it can be a little dull.

MESCAL You’re looking for an opportunity to play something truthfully, but also if that truth can be a bigger, more fractious choice, maybe that could be fun.

What’s the biggest acting you’ve ever done?

SCOTT Oh my God. Pick a card, any card. I did a play called “Present Laughter” by Noël Coward, about a guy who’s an over-the-top actor. It was kind of a farce, and I’m obsessed with farce.

MESCAL I am so jealous of people who can do farce, I don’t know where I would start.

SCOTT It’s all about timing the slam of the door, and there’s no greater feeling than when you’re talking to the other actor and you are waiting for the audience to stop laughing. You’d love it because it’s so physical as well.

MESCAL I’m just a bit scared of comedy because I didn’t do a lot of it in drama school. Don’t think [I’ve got] a particularly funny disposition.

SCOTT Are you out of your mind? I’m going to have a little think now.

MESCAL I’d love to do a rom-com.

SCOTT I think you’d be very good at playing some sort of neurotic.

MESCAL Really?

SCOTT Yeah. I love those kinds of characters that don’t have a sense of humor.

MESCAL No sense of humor. Great. I can do that, I can do that easily. [Laughs.]

With “Normal People” and “Fleabag,” where you played romantic leads, how did you handle the intensity of the audience imprinting on you?

MESCAL I remember the first couple of months of that happening, I was like, “Jesus, what can I do?” And the answer is actually nothing. There’s nothing you can do about it if somebody wants to imprint or project onto you.

SCOTT That was all during the pandemic, wasn’t it?

MESCAL Yeah, yeah.

Was it better or worse that you were in your house for most of it?

MESCAL Much, much better. Even doing junkets when “Normal People” came out, I was really glad to do it within the confines of my own home. I could put the laptop down and nobody knew where I was.

Andrew, you weren’t trapped at home when “Fleabag” came out. Could you tell something had changed in the way people perceived you?

SCOTT It already happened a little bit when I did “Sherlock” [playing Moriarty] because that really does have a fandom. There were like a thousand people that would come to set, it was absolutely insane.

MESCAL Jesus.

SCOTT So “Fleabag" was completely different in that sense. It didn’t have the same frenzy.

Maybe not as you were filming it, but there was definitely a passionate fandom once it was released.

SCOTT There was, but I really enjoyed that because I love the show. I’m so proud of it and I loved that part, so I liked that it really affected people so much.

MESCAL Still! I watch it once a year.

Paul, you even dressed as the hot priest for Halloween.

MESCAL I did. That went down a bit of a storm.

When you have a breakthrough project like those two series, and you’re seen differently in this business afterward, is it hard not to get swept up by all the offers that come your way?

MESCAL I know what I like. I don’t have the confidence in myself as an actor to do something that isn’t good. I don’t think I can pull the wool over people’s eyes with bells and whistles in terms of performance, and I’m actually glad I can’t do that.

SCOTT But is it weird when you are in L.A. now? I opened up my curtains this morning, and there you are.

MESCAL Yeah, my Gucci billboard.

SCOTT That’s insane.

MESCAL It is bananas. Yeah, I’m really proud of that, but I’m also acutely aware the only reason that’s happening is because people are enjoying the work that I’m doing. It can all disappear, like that.

Paul, you’re currently working on Ridley Scott’s sequel to “Gladiator.” I’m sure you’ve been pursued for a lot of blockbusters, so what made you choose this one?

MESCAL I love the first film and I think Ridley is an all-time great, so that was a no-brainer to me. I don’t really have a desire to make lots of big films in my life, but if this was the only big film I was ever to make, I would put my name into the mix anywhere for that. I’m having a great time doing it, but I also think there’s an obligation to understand that I don’t want an audience to get bored of me, or expect me to do the big indie film every year or two, because they’re really hard to get right.

Which is hard to get right, the big film or the indie?

MESCAL A film like “All of Us Strangers” or “Aftersun.” I’ve been incredibly lucky that those scripts came across my desk because there’s lots of other indies that are really well intentioned that don’t reach an audience. Also, it’s hard to go to the emotional well year after year with stuff like this, so I don’t want an audience to get bored of my choices or expect that I’m going to do that.

SCOTT Do you remember you got the “Gladiator” call when we were on the set of “All of Us Strangers”? You were so excited. I think I was even more excited, but you were so lit up about it. I think one of the fun things about being an actor that’s open to you is that you can do whatever you really want.

MESCAL That’s what makes you tick, to go from scenes like we get to play in “All of Us Strangers” to then doing stuff where you’re running around in an arena. If I was to boil down why I love this job, it’s that you get to go to work and pretend all day long but the thing that you would imagine as a child is actually actualized.

SCOTT Have there been any moments in “Gladiator” where you’re like, “This is amazing”?

MESCAL The first day was just bananas. There was camels and thousands of extras. Two close-ups on me. A close-up on the action. And you’re just like, “I’ve got to fake this till I make it.” Wild. Wild. Wild.

SCOTT Yeah, it’s playing. It really is. You’re required to play a part, you’re not required to work a part.

It’s heartening to hear you both describe acting as play or pretend. You talk about it in such joyful terms, but some of the other leading men I’ve spoken to will …

MESCAL … fetishize the pain.

SCOTT It embarrasses them.

MESCAL It’s important to say that “pretend” doesn’t make it any less emotional or difficult to do, but I think it actually gives you a greater range of possibility in a scene. That’s not to say there weren’t days on [“All of Us Strangers”] that felt like some sort of psychological torture.

SCOTT Absolutely.

MESCAL But the act of making it? It can’t be that, because then it just becomes about “How hard can I grip this table? How much pain can I put myself through in order to talk about it to the press?”

SCOTT I think of it sometimes like you invited somebody around for dinner and you said, “I could not find any organic chicken in the market, it was an absolute nightmare. Then I had to hoover the place from top to bottom.” And they’re just like, “Give me a glass of wine. I don’t want to hear about what you did, I’m just here for dinner.”

MESCAL Yeah, that’s spot on.

SCOTT What you need to do is have the generosity to get the chicken out.

MESCAL Organic or not.'

[matrixxsystem]

Terrapin Soup Part 6 (2/2)

"Leo.." Usagi looked around, a bit unsure, "Id this what you meant when you mentioned your portals being a bit.. Unstable?" "Hm? Oh, no, I did this one on purpose. I uhm.. I thought it'd be nice to sit up here with you, maybe.. Watch the sun set? Since it's like the one thing the hidden city doesn't have." Usagi smiled seeing Leo try to hide his blushing, he'd gotten pretty fond of Leo in the short time they actually knew each other.. "I've never seen the sunset from a view like this.. How kind of you." He carefully walked closer to the edge of the building, waiting for Leo to join him before sitting down. "I wanted to give my brothers a bit more time to get the kitchen together since I'm sure it's a mess by now." They both laughed at that, knowing full how it was more then likely true. Leo glanced over, trying to play it cool as he reached his hand over taking Usagi's into his. "It's been a while since I did this, but it's a lot nicer sharing it with someone. I mean, I'm not really a big nature and 'look at the stars' kinda guy but I thought you'd probably like it so.." "I think it looks amazing, it's not often I'm able to do something like this. Thank you for sharing this with me Leo." "..C-Can I share something else with you?" "Yes, anything Leo." "You.. You have to close your eyes first though.. Okay?"  Usagi nodded and closed his eyes as Leo requested, giving his hand a little squeeze and their fingers interlocked. Despite being on the edge of a building that stood over one thousand feet tall, Usagi had no trouble trusting him. Leo had been overthinking it earlier, that he'd be far too shy to return Usagi's gesture later tonight when he was on his way home, he figured it'd be easier to do it here while they had privacy. And April told him a few times to "put his big boy shell on and make the first move for once" so there was that too. He took a deep breath leaned in, his free hand coming up to gently cup Usagi's face to hold it in place. Closing his own eyes like an idiot as he killed the distance between them till they met in a kiss, though he pulled back pretty quick after, in disbelief that he actually just did that.  Usagi's expression didn't shift as much as Leos would've if he'd been on that end, but when he opened his eyes again Leo felt his heart skip a beat, fuck his eyes were pretty.. He gave Leo's hand another squeeze, silent for a moment probably processing. "I like when you share things with me." He said after a moment. Oh frick he was cute.. And his smile and those big eyes and soft fur and his hand fits in mine so well and... I wanna kiss him again.. I really wanna kiss him again- "I-I like sharing things with you.. Uh- We should.. I'm sure the foods done by now so we should.." Usagi nodded and waited for Leo to let go of his hand before he stood up, watching from a few feet back as Leo made another portal, gesturing for Usagi to go ahead. And once they were on the other side Leo proceeded with his partly rehearsed tour of the lair, only going off script to introduce him to April and Splinter. It all seemed to go really well, even when Splinter tried to act tough or while Mikey barged in to give him another hug. Or when a mini food fight broke out during dinner because Donnie insisted on calling salt 'sodium chloride' when he asked for it to be passed to him. But at the end of the night everyone seemed to have a good time, they asked Usagi about his life, where he grew up, what plans he had if any for the future, what he thought of Leo. Which of course they were all met with vague honestly. Things like;

"I've lived in the hidden city my whole life. My teacher had been tracking a small band of killers, he found them at the end of a trail that ended with the lives of my parents. He took me in seeing I had no one else."

"I'm not sure yet, I assume I'd take over my teachers role, doing the jobs I do now just on a bigger scale."

"I think Leo is.. Unique. He's kind, and brave.. And despite hardships still strives to make people smile and laugh. I'm lucky to have met him the way I did."

Needless to say that last response earned a wide array of coos from the family, no further questions needed of course. Though.. What Raph had said not long after their first meeting still stuck in Mikey's head. He wondered why he felt uncomfortable that time, and if that feeling went away yet or if it was just his older brother instincts to be that way? Usagi seemed pretty genuine, and Leo did too, he'd never seem him more happy and 'at home' maybe ever? But no one else seemed to feel that way, even April who was an older sister to them or Splinter who as a dad should be more guarded then Raph right? It didn't make sense..

Part 7

Part 1

TS Master Post

[voizac-technologies]

Streamlining Recruitment with Job Portal Script in Jaipur

Streamline your hiring process with Voizac Technologies' innovative job portal script in Jaipur. Designed to simplify recruitment, it offers user-friendly features, advanced search options, and seamless applicant tracking, helping businesses in Jaipur and beyond hire the best talent efficiently.

[therenlover]

Put Me Back In It (I Would Do It Again) Chapter Six: Moments Of Truth

Pairings: Tav/Raphael, Past!Astarion/Tav, Haarlep/Raphael

Word Count: 7,200~

Synopsis: Tav finally confronts Raphael about the holes in his version of the truth. Haarlep regains their routine.

Rating: M (+18)

Warnings: Emotional Manipulation, Brief Mentions of Past Abuse

Tags: Emotional Manipulation, Dreams, Memory Loss, Regaining Memories, Everyone Is Lying and Mentally Ill, Love Triangles, Hurt/Comfort, Unrequited Love

You can find this fic on AO3 Here or find the other finished chapters on Tumblr Here

--------

The colors in the portal room really were beautiful.

From her seat on the floor, Tav could see the combined hues of a whole universe unfolding before her through the glimmering glass of their mirrors. A miniature dragon soared over a dwarfed frozen landscape in the distance. It swooped low on the horizon before flapping its wings and flying into the distance. She watched it go with an absent fascination. Around her, the world burned. 

“I told you that she would bring us nothing but problems!” Haarlep raged, wings flaring behind them.

Raphael was pacing the room. His own wings were drooping low against the floor as he picked at his claws. “And I told you to watch her! If you’d done your job for once, none of this would have happened,”

“Don’t you dare blame this on me,” The incubus stormed up to the devil. “She is your pet project, not mine. Any failure of hers is due to your failure to keep her in line,” Chest to chest they formed an odd juxtaposition. So similar, and yet Tav would know immediately which was which from the looks on their faces alone. 

She smiled absently at the thought as Raphael cocked his head to the side. “Say that again,” 

“This is your failure, not mine,” Haarlep hissed. 

The room burst into a supernova of orange light. 

It was beautiful in a twisted way. More flames soared through the heavy air, spewing sparks and ash and even breaking one of the great mirrors, sending shards of glass in every direction. Tav could feel them landing in her hair like burning snow. She still smiled, even as blood ran down her forehead. 

Everything felt like a dream.

Haarlep’s green robes were singed, some of the silver tassels melting clean off in the heat of the inferno. They still stood, though. Despite everything, they didn’t back down. “Do you think you can scare me with your magic tricks?” 

“I suggest you stop testing me before I have to tighten your leash,” Raphael took a step away and then it was back to more pacing, taking quick laps around his half of the room. Haarlep didn’t reply. The animosity was still there, but the smoke and fire on every side seemed to even their tempers, at least a bit. “We haven’t lost yet,” 

“Haven’t we?” Something deflated in Haarlep’s chest. “They’re going to come for us, Raphael, and even if we get lucky enough to kill the first of them more will come to avenge the last.” 

“Then I’ll just kill them all, one by one,” Raphael stated confidently.

“And when Mystra lends the wizard her power to make sure you’re defeated? When the full power of a vampire lord’s army descends on the House of Hope? Be honest with yourself, they’ve bested us before with less and they will best us again,” 

The devil shook his head. “Things are different now. This time, they don’t have her. Besides,” The flames dulled a bit as Raphael calmed, gaining back that infallible confidence that he usually exuded with every word. “I hope to avoid the fighting altogether. If it truly comes down to it I’ll just have to make another deal,” With every passing second the devil was writing a new script to perform, setting the stage for his next great performance, and she could watch the wonder growing in his eyes as his plans solidified. He was invincible in the world he’d created for himself. Not even rationale could convince him otherwise. 

Haarlep let out a sigh, shoulders wilting, and Tav watched them with heavy-lidded eyes. They had always been so kind, so strong in the face of Raphael’s power. Was that part of their responsibility while taking care of her or did they choose to show her mercy? She didn’t have the mind left to speculate. Instead, a euphoric hysteria shut down her body and kept her right there, glued to the floor even as the thick, hot liquid began to run into her eyes.

Despite it all, she felt more like herself than she had in years. 

“You’re really depending on that? On another deal? After how well that’s worked out with me?” Tav asked, blood dripping further down her face. 

Raphael regarded her with a burning gaze. “I suggest you keep your mouth shut,” 

“Or what? You’ll kill me?” She laughed. Red coated her teeth, spewing from drips on her lips and tongue with every wheezing giggle. “That doesn’t change things for me. I’m down here with you either way. Are you looking forward to wrangling Karlach’s soul too? Or Wyll’s? Hells, you’ll have a whole party of us down here to deal with by the end of it, and for what? Because they’ve finally exposed your lies?” Tav shook her head. Shards of glass fell from her hair to the ground with soft tinkling, like the ringing of fae bells. “Which is funny, because all this time I genuinely believed I traded my soul to you in exchange for keeping the Crown of Karsus safe, but if I had, then Karlach would’ve known exactly where I’ve been all these years.” 

The devil flexed his wings, chest heaving in the smoke. 

All eyes were on her. 

Every inch of her felt unsteady in the heat. Sweat soaked through the silk of her now-torn dress, still shimmering so brilliantly even in the horrid orange light, but she pushed herself up onto her feet. Her hands burned. Her whole body burned. She hadn’t felt that much pain in a long, long time. In some odd way, she’d missed the reminder that she was still alive, despite it all. 

“Were you ever going to tell me?” 

“Tav,” Haarlep warned. 

Raphael held up a hand. His face slowly morphed into an unreadable, suave mask as he clenched and unclenched the fist at his side. “Let her wear herself out, Haarlep,” His wings fluttered slightly before tucking themselves back in neatly against his shoulder blades as he approached. “No, I didn’t intend to tell you. We were just starting to be happy. Why would I change that?” He paused. “We could be happy again, you and I. Just drop this,”  

Tav could feel the bile rising in her stomach. “Was I happy? Or was I getting used to you controlling every moment of my life?” 

He had the nerve to scoff at her in response. “What does it matter? You had no pain. You were well kept; given a place of comfort in my home no matter how unbefitting your behavior may have been, and taken out into the world when you expressed displeasure with the place you were given. I have been nothing but permissive of you. I brought you into my family as an honored guest as opposed to a possession. What more would it have taken to make you happy?” His voice edged on desperate as he approached. 

“The truth!” Tav shouted, “I want the truth!” 

The closer Raphael got, the weaker she felt in his looming shadow. Ghosts of her own uncertainty swarmed around them. Only a few hours could’ve passed since she was excitedly picking at her breakfast, staring up at a man she had convinced herself that she was madly in love with. Had she convinced herself, though, or had she loved him before everything changed? If she’d never learned the truth, would everyone have been better off? 

She didn’t deny that. She couldn’t deny it. 

Leaving the careful sphere of Raphael’s influence, even with his blessing, had led to the destruction of all the comfort she’d built for herself. Now the life she had and the life she’d known would rip and tear at each other's throats until only a victor remained. If it were Raphael she’d expect it. Nothing would change. Grief and pain would haunt her for six more years, or however many it took for her to lose her mind in the labyrinth he’d built to contain her, but she would keep living as she had been. 

If he lost though… it should’ve been the best case. Going home, gaining back her soul, finding her friends, setting off on the next big adventure; she’d wanted it so badly for so long. So why did it make the knot in her stomach expand? Why did the thought of seeing Raphael and Haarlep strewn across the bloody floor set her legs into another fit of shakes? 

When had she stopped wanting to go home? 

When had Avernus become home? 

Tav didn’t know what she wanted anymore, besides to fill in the gaps in her memory that seemed to sit wide open like windows into her weeping mind. Her life was out of her control. In fact, it had been out of her control since she’d wound up on that Illithid ship all those years before, hurtling through the same burning skies that watched over her now. 

“Do you truly want to know?” Raphael asked solemnly. 

For the first time in a while, Tav made her choice entirely for herself, knowing the consequences and choosing to take them in stride. “Yes,” 

“Follow me,” Raphael turned on his heel, traipsing out of the smoldering room without so much as a backward glance, leaving Tav in his wake. 

She moved one leg forward, then the next. Blood was still dripping down her face and hands but it was easy to ignore when it was paired with the roiling nausea and burns that covered most of her exposed skin. Haarlep made no moves to assist her. Instead, they nursed their own wounds and made their way to the broken mirror, gathering the shards in a pile with an unseen magehand. They only spared one silent glimpse as she started her shuffling, dragging walk out of the room. 

So much for that friendship.  

It took far longer than it should have but eventually, Tav made her way out of the mirror room and into the House of Hope’s great round hallway. Raphael was standing a ways down at the entrance to his personal office, and as soon as he caught her eye he was quick to walk inside, leaving her struggling to shuffle after him once again. When she finally reached him for good, he was standing at the edge of his desk. He had taken his human form again, which should’ve been a kindness but instead just made him even harder to read as he turned to face her.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Tav?” He asked. She could find no emotion hiding in his voice, no rage or concern hanging from his words. Just a great emptiness. She missed his explosive dramatics now that they were nowhere to be found. 

Still, she steeled herself. “Why am I here, Raphael?” 

The devil didn’t answer, instead gesturing to a small, oval crystal sitting on his desk. 

Tav had seen similar ones before, great crystal balls in Raphael’s displayed collections that trapped memories of some of his less fortunate souls. This one, though, was far smaller, as if it had been cut and carved to fit into someone’s palm or pocket. It glinted in the candlelight. The stone must have been ruby or garnet, reflecting a deep red against its flat face and all its small, shimmering facets along the side. 

She approached the desk slowly and gathered the stone in her bleeding hand. 

Her skin was slick enough that it almost slipped out from her trembling fingers, but she managed to hold it in her cupped hands, letting the face sit upright. Even when she watched the small figure rushing through the red landscape within that shining jewel she kept a fast grip on it. Because it was him. 

Tav couldn’t see her own face in the facsimile, only her trembling hands outstretched before her in defense, but she would recognize the pale man she was looking at anywhere as he lunged at her, throwing her against some unknown surface. 

The memory itched at the back of her brain. It floated through that open window in her mind and settled back in, slotting into its place like it had always been there, but it wasn’t quite complete. Instead, it was a red-tinted ghost, silent and sure, just as it appeared in the stone before her. 

“I thought I would spare you the shame of knowing what you became after your defeat of the netherbrain,” Raphael mused, “but you’ve given me no choice,” 

In the stone, the man brought his lips to her neck, holding down her trembling arms.

“No,” Tav’s voice shook. She felt the nausea building again and yet she could not bring herself to put it down. 

The pale elf left her on the ground after a while, and the version of herself Tav couldn’t quite remember scrambled to a loose floorboard the moment the heavy door shut behind him, prying it up and grabbing components from their hiding place below. Her own blood was used as the final puzzle piece as she laid the items in their proper order on the floor. 

“Once upon a time, you were in love with a rogue who showered you with all of his horrid love and affection. You trusted him with your fragile, mortal heart despite the fact that he was nothing more than a monster, driven by his predator’s instincts to lure you in and possess you. When he demanded power, you laid it at his feet,” Raphael brought a fist down against the corner of the desk, shaking the books and pens that littered the surface. “And as soon as he had you alone, he betrayed you,” 

The name was at her lips before she had a chance to think about it, pulling the puzzle together. “Astarion,” 

Raphael didn’t need to nod for her to know she was right. “You were his cattle; food for a hungry vampiric lord and his army. If you felt as though you were a prisoner here, you have no inkling of how locked away you were in his castle. None of your little friends came to save you either. They knew his power, and they left you to be victim to it,” 

Tav shook her head in disbelief. She had been a hero, hadn’t she? She’d been strong enough to save all of Baldur’s Gate, so why hadn’t she been strong enough to destroy the evil right in front of her? In the ruby, she was on her knees painting the familiar red sigil and then she was up on weak legs, running through a familiar hall towards a great set of doors. 

No.

It couldn’t be. 

She couldn’t have… could she?

“And who stood at your side after everything? When you had nothing more than your very soul to offer for protection against the vampiric hordes that threatened to slaughter us both if they found you? Who hid away the shameful memories that haunted you, even knowing you’d blame me for your captivity because of it?” 

She dropped the crystal on the desk as she watched Raphael appear before her through her past tear-filled eyes. 

Something that had been teetering at the edge for longer than she could remember finally, finally toppled over. The small shred of herself she’d gained back fell into the abyss with it. 

“You saved me,” Tav whimpered. 

Her chest felt empty. Where was her heart? Where had it run to? She could feel every shard of glass littering the skin of her palms and scalp, but no heartbeat in her ears. 

A quiet rage crept into Raphael’s words as he stepped away from her. “And now you’ve doomed us all. Those fools you called friends will go right to the man that you sold your soul to escape, and all of this will have been for nothing,” 

Tav finished things for him before he could. “This is my fault,” 

A cold certainty fell over the room as she wrapped an arm around herself, using the other to hold up her swaying body against the desk. In the stone, she caught a glimpse of herself collapsed in Haarlep’s arms. All of the nightmares suddenly made sense. 

Those bloody nights were real. Every horrific vision she’d tossed and turned through was a mirror image of a whole life she’d forgotten at that pale elf’s side. As she tried to grasp at the time she’d lost so much was still entirely missing. She could barely remember how she’d felled Orin or saved the grove. Was that Raphael’s doing, or her faulty mind’s after six years? And how had she failed to notice until now? The answer was plain. She hadn’t wanted to think about it. She’d been so focused on her new life in Avernus that, at least after a while, she’d given up on everything she’d known before. Was she really the hero of Baldur’s Gate if she couldn’t remember the person she was when she’d saved it?

Who was she anyway? 

The questions encircled Tav as they had for years now, but she finally faced them with open eyes. 

She was a mere mortal in the presence of powers beyond her comprehension; a lucky, foolish mortal who’d had a chance at greatness and seemingly sold it for the love of evil men. It was almost laughable to look at the pattern she left behind. She didn’t know what she wanted. If those who had been her closest friends perished in their quests to save her from a fate she’d sealed herself, she wasn’t sure how much it would hurt. If her captors— no, her saviors— fell in the fights to come, the pain would be immeasurable. 

The sun would rise and the sun would set, just not for her to see, and pain would follow her everywhere she walked, just as it always had. 

Alcohol and adrenaline rushed through her veins as she brought her wet gaze to Raphael’s. He was still unreadable there, arms crossed in the dim light. Tav shamefully wanted him to reach for her, to pick the glass from her hands and lay with her in his bed until everything was just a bad dream on the horizon. She wanted to punch him so hard that his teeth scattered across the floor. She wanted more than anything, though, to cease being and just surrender to him. He’d taken such good care of her, after all, for all that time. He could do it again. 

All it would take was letting go.

“How do I fix it,” she asked, voice uneven. 

Raphael shook his head. “You don’t. You let me fix it, because I always clean up after your messes,” he growled, “though maybe I should leave you to pick up after yourself this time. Maybe it would teach you just how much I do for you,” There was something wild in his eyes. She embraced it. If he had decided to devour her soul on the spot she wouldn’t have fought him, she would’ve leaned into the twisted warmth of the only love she might ever know, the pathetic creature that she was. Tav stumbled into him without thinking about moving her feet. 

The devil spluttered as her bleeding hands found his chest. “I’m sorry. Please fix it,” She wanted to crawl into him, feel the warmth of his hellish pulse surround and consume her. Underneath the grandeur and fear, there was a sort of home against his flesh for her, the only home this new cowardly Tav had ever really known. “Please fix me,” 

“I��” Raphael raised his hands but did not push her away. His heart missed a few beats, stilling against her forehead. “What are you doing Tav?” 

She repeated her apologies like a prayer, and in a way they were. The fine purple silk of his doublet was wet with blood and tears as she fisted her hands in it. No matter how he shifted she didn’t let up. After all of her time in Avernus, she’d finally gone mad with him. Insanity wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. 

He moved his mouth but no words came out as she desperately grasped at him. Her chest was heaving. She was breathing, she knew she was breathing, but the air felt thick and tight like no matter how many lungfuls she took in a breath couldn’t make it past her mouth. Her head pounded. She was so tired. 

Raphael looked down at her, his wobbling, morphing face taking on something that almost seemed like baffled concern, cupping her stained cheek in his large, warm hand.  

Tav pressed into his touch desperately. His searing warmth was an anchor into a body that seemed to drift further and further from her mind with every passing moment. “Please, I love you, I’m sorry,” 

“Sleep,”

The spell was almost instantaneous but left her conscious just long enough to watch a shimmer of shock run through the devil’s very being. Then the misery ended. 

———

Tav could smell bacon cooking in the kitchen when she opened her eyes. 

Sunshine was gleaming on her face and she could hear the creaking of wheels on cobbles beyond the window she’d rested her head on for an afternoon nap more times than she could count. Outside, Baldur’s Gate woke for the morning. 

Dust floated lazily through motes of morning light, covering Tav’s eyelashes like snow. 

“Darling, breakfast!” A voice called. 

She wandered through the room, following where she was beckoned. Everything was just as she’d remembered it. Books were still piled in the corner around her father’s favorite reading chair, waiting for him to return from another magical pilgrimage or another, while her mother’s sword and mace sat mid-polish on the low table in the front room. The living room fireplace was smoking embers from the night before. Mother must have been up all night setting up to defend some new client or another.

Did the books know her father wasn’t coming back? 

Tav did. 

She lingered just long enough to stroke her fingers against the well-worn covers. Those piles had always dwarfed her as a small child, looking like mountains towering over her small stature, but now they looked so small compared to the books she’d seen gathered in the tombs and homes across Faerun she’d pillaged with her friends. It still smelled like pipeweed and parchment though. She breathed him in and let him go as she passed through the warmly furnished home towards the stoney kitchen. 

“I’m sure you’re hungry,” her mother’s voice called from the distance, “You’ve been working so hard, Tav. Come sit with me. Tell me about your day, love” 

Oh, to sit and share breakfast with her mother one more time. 

“Mama, I have so much to tell you,” Tav breathed, hand skimming the plastered walls as she turned the corner into the kitchen. Her mouth and eyes were watering. “I was a hero, Mom; a real hero. Dad would’ve been so-” 

Haarlep turned from the great hearth, pan in hand, wearing her mother’s steel armor like a second skin as they poked around at the strips of sizzling meat with a spoon. Her mother's voice came from their chest as if they were playing some sort of strange thaumaturgical trick on her.

“Haarlep?” 

The incubus shook their head. “Always getting into trouble with your little friends,” her mother’s laugh was like church bells, but they clanged dissonantly in an unfamiliar mouth, “I’m just so glad to have you home in one piece. You shouldn’t leave them waiting too long, though. My daughter, the hero,”

Clouds blotted out the sun. Haarlep’s orange eyes lit the room as it was plunged into shadow. 

Tav’s stomach dropped. 

“They’re waiting for you, Tav,” they whispered, tongue tracing their small fangs as they turned to look back down the hall behind her. 

She turned without waiting to hear if they had anything else to say. She didn’t want to hear it. Not from her mother’s voice. 

Every footfall was an earthquake as she followed the endless hall back towards the living room. When it appeared before her, it was bare. Tarps laid over the furniture like looming ghosts, covered in a thick layer of grime. The boarded windows hid it from the world, letting in thin streams of moonlight through the thin gaps in the slats. Moths ate the rotting pages of her father’s beloved collection. Rust gathered on the pile of left-behind equipment in the corner, armor stand long rotted and collapsed. It was all just as she’d left it. 

A light flickered in the rooms beyond. 

Tav followed. She knew where she’d be expected. 

Her room was lit by hundreds of little candles, dripping wax around an open coffin on the wooden floor. The elf and the devil stood by with matching grins. 

She stumbled into the wall. All of a sudden she was Allicent down the owlbear den, lost in the weaving paths of the faewild, and yet she was right at home where she had longed to be. Her gaze was lost in the velvet lining of the ebony box at her feet. All at once she was a small child and moments away from death. 

Raphael held out a hand. “We’ve been waiting for you,” 

“Come along, darling. Don’t be difficult,” The other— Astarion, she had to remind herself— nodded along and held out his own palm. “We want to help you,” 

She took their hands into her own and let them help her into the bed she’d made, one cool and one searing. The world spun in a smoky haze. Astarion pulled a blanket over her shivering body while Raphael stroked her sweaty, matted hair. 

“Do you love me?” She whispered.

“Yes,” they replied in unison. 

The fire grew around them, creeping up the walls as the smoke got thicker in the air. Tav felt like she was floating through a grey sea as the men began to char and burn. She watched their clothing peel and disintegrate on their skin. She didn’t even scream when the ceiling caved in.

———

Tav woke in a room she didn’t recognize, tossing in sweat-soaked sheets. 

There were no windows, just one large door in the stone walls that she knew would be locked tight before she even got up to try it. A cup of wine sat on the stone floor beside her cot with a small bowl of some sort of oats, long cold. Across the room, a chamberpot waited empty for her. 

She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. 

Someone had dressed her in a plain cotton shift. It scratched against the burns on her legs and torso, catching on the still-sticky skin, but at least it was blissfully cool against the oppressive heat of the cell, letting small drafts flow and cool the sweat-soaked fabric. Whoever it was who’d brought her there hadn’t just dressed her, though. They’d taken the time to heal her hands, and well. The skin was flawless again. Every piece of glass would’ve needed to be painstakingly removed before the skin was sealed over, and they were. Not a single jagged bit pressed from under her soft palm as she pressed her thumbs into the fragile muscle. The absence of pain was almost disappointing. 

As she wrapped her arms around her shins her bladder screamed louder than even her pounding head. She ignored it, though. She ignored it all. 

———

Haarlep had always been a creature of habit, and they liked it that way. 

When Tav first arrived their routine had gone ass-up. After six years, though, the incubus was once again waking up alone in Raphael’s bed. They fell back on their old ways as easy as breathing. 

What’s six years to a millennia, after all? 

Mornings started early with an hour of lounging, then came breakfast. They weren’t a huge eater, it was all for pleasure as opposed to sustenance, so any leftovers were taken down to the snake pit and dangled over the debtors like bait. Once they were bored of that game they’d settle down to paint or read. Before Tav, he’d finish up his hobby of the day and that was about when Raphael would seek them out for a quick tryst before he really got his day going and settled into business. Now, though, that was unheard of. Haarlep hadn’t been approached by Raphael alone since the waif showed up. Instead, the afternoon sat empty. 

Sometimes they’d try to stretch out their activities or eat again. If they were feeling particularly annoyed they’d find some poor soul to torment in the halls. Most of the time, though, they just lay in bed and waited for something interesting to happen. 

Not so long ago, at least in their lifespan, Haarlep would’ve expected to be called in to help Raphael with some deal or another. They were his right hand, after all. Who else could handle his most important dealings? That also stopped a while ago, though, right about the time that all he talked about turned into ‘Tav wants this’ and ‘Do you think Tav might like that’ and ‘I need to get these for Tav’. 

Thankfully that stopped when she’d been put away. 

The silence was temporary, much to Haarlep’s frustration. It quickly turned into more chores for the incubus and more meltdowns for the oh-so-infallible lord of the house. 

That’s how Haarlep found themself on porridge duty twice a day to make sure their honored guest didn’t end up starving in the dungeon. 

Her cell was cushy, as far as cells went. It was only a few stories down the great winding staircase to the debtor’s pit below and afforded her privacy and comfort most souls wouldn’t dare dream of in Raphael’s house. She didn’t appreciate it. As always, she was curled up on her cot when they unlocked the door and walked in with her newest meal. 

They groaned as they kicked at the still-full bowl on the floor. The wine was untouched again too. “You’re going to dehydrate and die down here,” Haarlep groaned, switching the old oats for fresh ones and replacing the wine with water. 

Tav didn’t reply, turning away to face the wall. 

No matter how much they wanted to gag when they thought about it, they did worry about the girl. Even in the weeks following her deal with Raphael, she’d never been quite low. They supposed that was what happened, though, when someone’s whole reality collapsed. Bringing her down to Avernus was a bad idea from the start. This was just the natural consequence. Still, they wished something could’ve been done to avoid it. 

“It shouldn’t be long now before Raph can finally let you out of this damn place,” Haarlep groaned, leaning against the wall. They had never stayed with her down here before. If it meant she might eat, though, a few minutes of discomfort might be worth it… for Raphael’s sake, of course, not hers or their own. He’d be less than pleased if his favorite pet withered away under their watchful eye. “We just need to finish fortifying the house, just in case of unwanted guests,” 

Their words were again met with complete silence and stillness. Great. 

“Look,” they wiped a hand down their face, “I’m sorry about what happened at the party, ok? This wasn’t your fault, and this isn’t a punishment. He’s just-”

“Are we friends, Haarlep?” Tav asked the wall. Her voice was a dry croak. 

Haarlep shook their head. They wanted to say no. They weren’t friends, after all; They were competitors. Nothing about his entire existence gave the incubus the ability to have and keep a friend. They were built for physical pleasure and companionship, nothing more. They weren’t even made to be able to love the ones they fucked. 

And yet… those things turned out not to be true, didn’t they? And Haarlep couldn’t explain why, so they ignored the strange sense of protection and companionship they felt every time Tav cried herself to sleep over the man she loved— Hells, either of the men she loved. 

They were kindred spirits in a way, Tav and them. 

So Haarlep leaned his head against the wall, relishing in the sharp crack that sounded as his skull hit stone. “Maybe not friends, I’m not nice enough to be your friend. I think you’ve gotten me as close as you possibly could to being your friend, though, no matter how much I wished I hated you.”

Tav let out a crackling laugh and rolled over to face them, lips bitten and bloody. Gods she looked awful. Her eyes were empty, sitting in deep sockets as she withered in her skin. She wasn’t quite starving yet but it wouldn’t be incredibly long before she was if she kept up the hunger strike. It was less of a physical change, though, and more of an intangible one. Her sparkle was all but dead. 

Damn. Raphael had really done it. 

A deep down part of the incubus burned with shame and rage at the realization. 

Things had gone too far a long time ago. There wasn’t much to do now besides watch the aftermath. 

“I’m glad we're friends, Haarlep. I owe you a lot,” 

They shook their head. “You can start repaying your debt by eating this,” 

She eyed the bowl at their feet with suspicion but accepted it the moment they brought it over to the bed and placed it in her hands, gulping the beige slop as greedily as the incubus might’ve devoured a suckling pig. They sat behind her and put a hand on her back before thinking about what they were doing. “Eh eh! No choking. I’m not going to take it from you, I promise. Just slow down, would you?” 

Tav was too busy eating to reply, and Haarlep handed them the metal cup of water without being asked (not glass, they’d thought she still might be too unstable to be left alone with anything fragile and sharp). She finished the whole bowl as they rubbed her back gently. 

“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” she finally spoke, looking anywhere but their face. 

“Starving will do that to you,” Haarlep chuckled. “Better?”

She shook her head no. “Why… do you know why he hasn’t come down here?” 

“Because he’s a bastard,” they shrugged, “what’s new?” 

Tav let out a groan, leaning into Haarlep’s shoulder. It stirred a strange warmth he couldn’t name in his chest. “Does he hate me? For the whole party thing?” 

“Gods, no. He wouldn’t be feeding you if he hated you,”

“Good,” she nodded before pausing, “Do you hate me for ruining your lives?” 

Haarlep almost jumped out of their skin but tried to play it off as best they could. “I thought I just said we were friends?” Why did that rattle them so much? It was an absurd claim. Completely unfounded. “Besides, why would I feed you if I hated you?” 

“Because you love Raphael too much to disappoint him like that,” 

Their blood ran ice cold. Rage flooded them first and foremost as they jumped up from the cot, flexing their wings a bit, but something else flushed their cheeks. “I’m an incubus, I don’t- Raphael is my master. I serve him. I devote myself to him, I don’t… no. You’re mistaken,” 

Tav shrugged. “Whatever you say,” 

Haarlep was more shaken than they wanted to admit, even to themselves, but the twitching in their tail was undeniable. They were quick to gather the empty bowl as well as old oats and wine from the floor as they quickly headed to the door, leaving the rest of the water behind with her. “I’ll be back later with your dinner,”

“Wait,” 

They paused at the door, turning to face Tav where she sat. No emotion crossed her face. Her mask was almost as good as Raphael’s but there was no intent in it. She probably felt just as blank on the inside as she appeared. It disturbed them. 

“Will you tell him I’m sorry?” She asked. “Tell him… tell him if anybody shows up I’ll tell them I want to be here, with him. I made my choice. The elf- sorry, Astarion might not take that for an answer, but the rest of them will, and that could make a difference. Nobody deserves to get hurt over this besides that man,”  

Haarlep gulped down a mouthful of spit as more welled in their mouth, nodding quickly. “I’ll do what I can,”

The moment the door was locked behind them they lost the contents of their stomach onto the floor of the hall. 

They cleaned up after themself quickly and tried not to think too much about anything at all on their way back up into the house, especially not that baseless accusation Tav had made. Them? Love Raphael? It was laughable. And yet when they walked into the devil’s office to find him frantically writing again, they couldn’t deny that they’d taken a few extra moments outside the door to make themself presentable. 

Before he could even look up from his work, Raphael was asking about her. 

“Did she eat?” He barked, quill scratching frantically on parchment. Haarlep just threw the empty metal bowl at the floor. It clattered noisily against Raphael’s own discarded dishes. “Good,” 

Haarlep hated the sigh of relief that escaped his lungs. 

“You look like shit,” they deflected. The whole room reeked of sweat and stress, and not in a sexy way. Usually, they wouldn’t mind looking at Raphael’s messy body. Something was so alluring about seeing someone who was always so put together at their most base and scattered physical form. It was only fun when it was for them, though, a proof of their ability to rattle him. They ran a hand through his limp, greasy hair and Raphael flinched away. 

The devil huffed. “I don’t have time for this, Haarlep” 

“Still drafting potential deals?” 

“What else would I be doing?” He snapped. “When those damned adventurers show up I need to have a script and plan for every outcome. I refuse to lose her to some loophole I didn’t see. Wyll is giving me the most difficulty. He’s made a deal before, so he’ll know exactly what to be cautious of when setting his terms. Whatever I give him has to be nothing less than ironclad or things will end up very poorly for all of us, you included,” As he rambled, Raphael began absently chewing on the end of his quill, pressing the tip of the feather between his thin lips. 

Haarlep watched with an almost scientific fascination, focusing on the way his brow furrowed as the ink stopped flowing. No one else saw the devil like this. It was for them and them alone to appreciate. Well, at least it was… 

They flexed their wings. “It seems like a good time for you to take a break, besides,” Haarlep leaned against the desk, their leather pants squeezing their legs as they bent over, “I’m hungry. You’ve let me starve for weeks,” 

Raphael’s eyes flitted up to theirs but went right back to his paper without even pausing for a moment on Haarlep’s bare chest. “I told you I’m busy. Go fuck one of the more deserving debtors and leave me be,” 

They stumbled back from the desk. Even in the aftermath, Raphael paid them no attention, fully engrossed in his project, but of course he was! Without it how would he save his precious Tav? Anger bubbled in Haarlep’s throat but they swallowed it down. How dare she get everything they’d ever wanted after everything she’d done to them both? 

How dare Raphael be capable of setting aside time for her, but not them? After all they’d done?

Haarlep took another step towards the door, eyes on the floor. “She asked about you,”

The scratching of the quill immediately stopped. “She did?” Raphael asked. 

“She was wondering why you hadn’t come down to visit her yourself, and if you hated her. It was incredibly sad,” They let their voice trail off and kept gazing out into the hallway, setting their hands on their hips. “Congratulations, I suppose. You’ve finally broken her in!” When they finally turned around, Raphael wouldn’t meet their gaze.

He floundered for a bit, pushing back his greasy hair again and rubbing his stubbly cheeks with flat palms. “What a victory…” Haarlep’s stomach curled in on itself at the way Raphael’s voice trailed off. They’d never seen him look quite so weak before, except when he’d been moments from death. “Haarlep, am I doing the right thing? Do you think she can be happy here?” 

They choked. “Why does that matter?” 

“It doesn’t,” Raphael waved a hand, gaze drifting over to the few bolts of leftover fabric that sat stacked in the corner. He paused on them for a bit. It almost looked like he was… daydreaming. “I suppose I was just curious. She said some peculiar things after I let her see that the deal was all her idea, or at least mostly her’s. It was like she went mad. I don’t know. It’s absurd, you’ll appreciate it Haarlep. She said she loved me!”

Oh. 

He loved her. 

It was plain on his face and in every insane, obsessive plot he’d manufactured to lure her into his arms. All it took to kick in those romantic instincts was the right person, it seemed. 

“Not that that matters,” Raphael trailed on, ignoring the way Haarlep stood frozen against the shelf. “She’ll make a fine prize once I built her back up, now that the hard part is over. I do love how malleable mortals are, though I hope she’ll keep a bit of that fight she has. She’d be boring without it,” 

Was that why they’d never been good enough? Because they gave in to orders too easily? Because they had been broken long before Raphael had ever set hands on them? It set their teeth on edge. She was just being handed everything he’d ever worked for on a silver platter. The worst part? Haarlep was too damn broken in to even resist it. If it made Raphael truly happy, if it made him smile and lose a bit of that damn dramatic seriousness he wore like a coat of arms at all times, could they really resent her for it? No. They could only resent it wasn’t for them. 

“Did she mention anything else?” Raphael asked, setting his chin on his palm.

Haarlep bit their tongue, looking down at the veritable pile of battle plans at his elbow. A bead of blood came up where their fang dug into the soft flesh.

“No, she didn’t mention anything else,” 

“To be expected,” Raphael sighed, disappointed. He looked down at the papers and pushed up from the desk with a groan. It had probably been days since he’d last gotten up. “I suppose I could pause planning for the moment, a bath does sound nice.” He raised an eyebrow at Haarlep. “Still hungry?” 

The incubus feigned a smile as they left the room. 

“For you? Always,” 

-----------

(A/N: Thank you for sticking with me <3 This chapter took a very long time to write, half because work was insane and half because I had to rewrite it probably 6 times before I ended up with something I halfway liked. I can't wait to rewrite all of this once the story is over so I can practice editing something novel-length, because that's what it's looking like it'll end up being. This is now, I believe, my longest project ever to date and it's been such an incredibly gratifying challenge to take on. I can't wait to finally get into the original story I wanted to tell with you guys.)

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[coolhorse]

Christian pure spy. History and characterisation the essay.

not usually what i post here but hey. I am presenting almost everything available on christian pure spy and the major 2 eras of his characterisaiton and their influences/his powers/ all that kind of thing. This is the most comprehensive cps thing out there.

incredibly long post warning.

the beginning. tumblr user mit-332 (23 may 2012)

^^ very relevant to tumblr’s general perception of CBS also. Was pretty different to kekas videos. (here is the post link)

As an avid sniperspy shipper, mit-332 built cps as a counterpart to cbs, this is why the pair compliment eachother like they do, and why the first piece of art of him is with cbs. The shippability is the point here. That is why he exists. the first art of him ever is ship art.

First image by (x) created one day after the freak was first posted. other are by tumblr user star-bbee and are also some of the first fanart of the freak. Despite the first image being created literally the day after his introduction, and the post specifying he is not a man of religion. we already have angel/demon imagery!

other early fanart. here is the credit (X) (X)

tumblr/deviantart user uberchain also began making sfm posters of him at this time.

(x) (x) (x)

he was always paired with cbs, which is to be expected. and typically he is seen in a non combat role, or being his sidekick/ally and looking out for him. he is the kinder of the pair and a parallel to cbs. none of this will change.

2. DW VS TK VS CBS (21 SEPT 2013)

Christian pure spys first video appearance and where most of his characterisation comes from. and a personal favourite freak series of mine. (x) (x) this may also be the first time christian brutal sniper has been shown as a christian. I havent been able to find anything that predates this series to depict him in this specific way.

in the linked image, witchy does not credit mit-332 as the creator of christian pure spy. he says the creator is unknown. Which i think is important to remember when it comes to how he writes cps.

Basically in this series he is working alongside cbs to kill demon witchy who is a demon and satans daughter. A lot of his characterisation seems to be inspired by the helsing anime. the series is lemurfot and witchy collab but looking at their individual works outside of the collaboration, I assume witchy was behind the script so I will refer to him as the writer. it lines up entirely with how he makes and writes his machinima and lemurfot says in the video that witchy did most of it.

In DW VS TK VS CBS the pair are religious and christian pure spy uses bible themed powers to attack and remove demons from the world.

He takes his job as a demon hunter very seriously, and typically is very calm and gets straight to the point. He views demons as things which he needs to remove from the world and takes care in doing so as painlessly as possible. while not a pascifist he disagrees with harming people, but is not above threatening them. he plays off of brutal, often grounding him and being 'the voice of reason', his seriousness and detatchment to his job is a purposeful direct contrast to him. and despite their arguments they work together and seeming have been for quite a while.

Christian pure spy aims to kill demons painlessly and quickly. Not liking to make them feel pain or suffer. This causes conflict between the two. but they are still partners. in this iteraton he also says he likes to be called "father pure" but it never comes up again.

His powers are introduced in this. his abilities need to recharge after use, and too much use of his magic at once can stop it from working. when he introduces himself and states his ability to "turn off the body" which he later uses, it basically just knocks someone out. He can create portals, locate items (cbs' knife), use some kind of forcefield attack to throw people back, he can teleport his weapons and himself, he also has a restoration ability as well as general 'bible powers'. he is agile but not superhuman.

3: The rest of it.

to my knowlege there has been no more major videos containing him, he has had a few cameos but nothing dw vs tk vs cbs level. the freak fortress wiki says he may appear in lost in nightmares but the only similarities he has to the black spy in the video is that they are both religious spies. one of the wikis also mentions him as weak to lava, i do not know where this comes from, there is no real mention of this. He is mostly depicted as a human, so sure he would be weak to it but theres no source or explaination.

the idea about christian pure spy being a resurrected red/blu spy has never come up beyond the original post. in christian brutal sniper origins (x) (the video referenced in the original post) cbs is a red sniper is kidnapped/tortured/killed and he comes back to life and becomes cbs and seeks revenge, and the red spy from the previous videos becomes gentlespy. christian pure spy may have been intended to have had a similar backstory. but regardless, he never got one and this version of his character seemed to be abandoned and left out immediately after it was posted.

tdlr; watch dw vs tk vs cbs and check out the linked artists. its great fun.

[cut-content-contest]

F-Stop

F-Stop was basically what Portal 2 was going to be before they cut the whole project. It involved storing objects in a camera and then placing them in the world again, but now bigger or smaller than before! Play testers didn't like it however, as there was no Chell or GLaDoS or well, portals! So all of F-Stop as concept for Portal 2 was trashed and they started development for Portal 2 all over again. The mother of all cut content!

pretty much everything about the project: https://vcc.wiki/wiki/F-STOP

Cave cube

Unused dialogue script that was found in the source code. Supposedly there was going to be a cube you encounter in one of the puzzles with Cave Johnson's consciousness inside of it. Cave tells you that he's been going insane (he's been down there alone for 30 years? 50 years? game timeline isn't exact but probably safe to say a few decades) and asks you to unplug the box and kill him. There are also a few moments in this conversation where Caroline 'reappears' and GLaDOS grows increasingly upset. After you unplug the box Cave has a long dialogue about dying, and then you use his box corpse to solve the puzzle. Incredibly dark humor. This scenario eventually got referenced in Lego Dimensions and Aperture Desk Job, the latter which features almost the exact same scenario except without GLaDOS present and instead of a cube Cave was uploaded into a monolithic metal bust of himself.

recreation of the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BfZETS_kgY

[xavidotron]

Sarah's aunt visited a couple weeks back, and as is tradition we watched a combination of movies with "red" in the title and vaguely classic movies.

Red Notice was a very fun, twist-filled Lupin-esque heists-and-adventure-archaeology sort of deal. It's not, like, clever or anything, but it had some fun action sequences and never got boring and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We then watched The Comedy of Terrors mainly on the strength of me contending that I like Vincent Price, though afterwards I realized I'm not really sure what else I've seen him in. A bit slow-moving at the start, but it has a good cast and the climactic sequence was very fun and had some good jokes. No Arsenic and Old Lace but I'm happy to have watched it.

Red 2 was a fun spy action film with a bit more actual coherence than Red Notice. Anthony Hopkins does a really fun job.

And now, without Sarah's aunt, we watched Spirited Away: Live On Stage, the recording of the Japanese Spirited Away stage play. It was very well done; very close to the original in terms of script with a few added songs, but really great puppetry, stage transformations, and clever transitions to represent the spirit world convincingly without excessive use of projected special effects. I'd definitely recommend it. (Also makes me think about how Spirited Away is and isn't like common portal fantasy architypes and how that relates to gameable structures.)

[tsp-narrator-ask]

Oh! Could you narrate me? If that's okay- also you can call me Kat (or Charles) I don't think I ever mentioned that

-🐈

“Oh! How wonderful! Hopefully you won’t throw my narration off the way @biblically-accurate-crow did when I narrated them… and it is nice to finally know your name.”

“This is the story of a man named Charles.

“Charles interests was simple. when he was bored they would re-blog posts they found interesting or they would ask questions to his favorite ask blogs.”

“They liked all sorts of things… from portal, to the Stanley parable, dork diaries, home stuck, and just over all meme culture… until one day…”

“he wanted a break from his screen. An actual fulfilling job that would bring him some joy. so he got up and got a job in an office building and from that moment on they became employee 417. employee 417’s job was simple and that was to walk back and forth from office to office and deliver scripts to there boss… yet he had never seen his bosses face. And from then on he made it his life’s goal to find out who his mysterious faceless “boss” was…”

“… now dear reader… as you know the last scripted narration I made didn’t work as well. So I will give you some more… choice in this. What will you do?

1. Grab the papers and return it to your bosses inbox.”

2. Knock on your bosses door and demand to see his face.”

3. Other make you your own “

“Now with those option in mind I hope this will stir my old creative juices.”

Sincerely the narrator