[duplicity] intro log 3

[hexyouup]

(Let Him Introduce Himself As A) Puppet Loosely Strung (orientation)

It’s Not Just About Sex (for gen/introductions)
[ To be completely fair and honest, Henry enjoys (topical) human companionship, so the whole dominant/submissive system is just fine by him! From what he understands, it’s... almost like making a friend that can never leave? Something like that. (And for someone who’s been abandoned in the past and has spent much of his life in the company of animals rather than people, it’s a very enticing prospect.)

He’s never thought of himself as a particularly “take charge” kind of guy. Nevertheless, no matter whom he’s paired with, they’ll get the same response: ]

Hiya! I’m Henry! What’s your name?

[ This, in chirpy tone and with a bright, sunny smile that overshadows all the darkness below.

...For now. ]

It’s All About Sex
[ There might not have been any hexes involved, but Henry was absolutely intrigued by that last demonstration, head tilting back and forth not unlike a curious bird all the while. While he’s hardly apt to be proactive about it, he is absolutely curious about the techniques he learned: From proper oral sex techniques, to preparation for anal penetration, and more or less everything in between.

As the room empties down to the last few stragglers, (or those who weren’t pushy enough to get out the door first, thus forced to wait in line to leave), Henry can be found still somewhere near the now-cleared stage, rubbing his thumb, index, and middle fingers together. Then sniffing them.

...Then experimentally licking them. ]

Ooh, cherry-flavored!

[ He’s played with a lube, you see. Like a dork. And whosoever happens to be nearest him will also get an offer: ]

Here! Want a lick?

Whisper To Me -- “Macabre”, rank 17. Feel free to have your character be a viewer (voyeur) or the ~mystery victim~.


[ Those who tune in to one of Duplicity’s top twenty most popular feeds that evening will find a friendly face on one of them. Possibly one they’ve met before, who only offered friendly conversation, terrible puns, and off-color humor.

But, make no mistake about it -- this was always lingering below the surface of a gentle, placid smile.

This is Henry as he wants to be: The him at his darkest and most sadistic. A self-portrait painted in shades of rich crimson; in the smell of metal. Who found this footage of him? Even he might wonder, since it’s clearly not something so wildly out of character for him that he could claim innocence. “Tender” smile still intact, here on this feed, he’s a marvelous monstrosity to behold, blood-spattered and all the happier for it. (...Way, way too happy, perhaps, as a straining erection attests.)

And who is it there with him? Whoever they are, they seem a willing participant, perched upon the seat of a leather armchair. A wave of Henry’s hand and an incantation makes their clothing an afterthought; a second binds a stripped form taut with velvet ropes that indent, marking skin. ]

Do you like it? That’s one of my faaaavorite curses! Nya ha ha!

[ A gasp then, and he leans in, cupping the chin of this other party. ]

Hmm? Did you say “tighter”? [ Henry then breaks into a saccharine-sweet giggle, far too love and light for this dubious situation. ] Hee hee! I’ll make it tighter~! One teeny curse and they’ll be so tight you can’t breathe...

[ His trusty tome opens, a hex on the tip of his tongue as the one he’s claimed and bound is afforded the rare sight of Henry’s own dark eyes. ]

Gee, I wonder what color your eyes and lips will be right before you die...?

Wildcard!
[ would your character like a private show? did we already plot something? toss it under ‘wildcard’ or hit me up on discord for more things and stuff! silent#1183 o/ ]

Comments

wildcard | a better hex than that

[lyingheart]

[ She can't tell if this is tongue in cheek or not: a panel on the magic of sex, or of talents and curses on partners in the bedroom and outside. As far as she can tell, it doesn't mean magic in the senses she's becoming familiar with, but instead things like wearing rope harnesses under clothing, wearing toys controlled remotely while in public, praise kinks and degradation kinks being a part of building on foreplay and the magic of a sexual relationship. Especially the contracted ones, but for anyone wanting to indulge in such practices with a lover, or several lovers. Anything they so please.

It isn't magic, and as the panel speaker finishes his thoughts on the curse of anticipation, she can only roll her eyes and stand, stretching out her shoulders as people start filing out of the room. Several people are animated as they speak, not necessarily about anything related to the panel, but the hubbub of conversation around her is pleasantly reassuring. It keeps her from lingering in her own thoughts. ]

[hexyouup]

[ Titling a panel "The Magic of Sex" was one sure-fire way to gain at least one eager, willing audience member. Naturally, he’d sat front-row-center-stage for the entire duration too, waiting for some hot tips with chin in hands and grin ever-present, only to be sorely disappointed with the hour or so of his life he's now never going to get back.

Henry had had certain expectations in coming to this event, you see: He'd come for the magic, and perhaps stay for the sex, he'd thought. But there was no "magic" to the conversation whatsoever -- or, not Henry's type, at least -- and that was kind of the prerequisite. Didn’t stop him from waiting the entire duration just in case, of course.

Now, as the curtain closes and the crowd trickles out, he’s left to whine and lament his precious time lost. Loudly. ]

Aaaw, not even one curse?!

[ Talk about unsatisfying! He wants his money back! Yeah, all that money he didn’t spend!!

Instead, he’s going to pout with all the charm and character of a scolded schoolboy. ]

If they needed someone to show off some hexes, they could’ve just asked me...!

[lyingheart]

[ She looks back toward someone whining, brow furrowed as she registers what he's saying. What in the world is he talking about? Curses meant foul language, and hexes she has no comparison for. ]

Asked you to show off what?

[ She asks, having moved closer down the row of chairs she'd been standing in. ]

What exactly is a hex? Or curse, if you're not talking about what kind of damn language someone's using?

[hexyouup]

[ After the initial shock wears off, Henry's eyes --okay, not his eyes, those still aren't showing -- but his face...!

This is the face of a young man who has just been asked to expound upon their very favorite topic. And indeed, he has. ]

Hexes are spells! Magic! [ A thoughtful pause. ]

Though... it does require some damn language, too.

[lyingheart]

[ That it relates back to magic doesn't surprise her in the end: it was the title of the panel, and he'd apparently been disappointed by how sheerly unmagical it'd all been. The way he looks now is so similar to watching some of the trainees she'd worked with that it's easy to recognise he has some passion for the subject at hand. ]

Like what? Go screw yourself?

[ It's a dry toned question, not a serious one. What damn language would be involved? ]

[hexyouup]

[ Triumphant finger wave! ] Screwing requires two people, and no! I mean ~the Language of the Damned~!

[ He says it with such melodramatic inflection, anyone with half a brain cell to call their own should know in an instant it's a joke. But, just in case... ]

Nya ha ha! Just kidding! It can be any language, really.

[ And then, cheerily: ] I'll curse ya right now to give an example, if you want!

[ In his head, an immediate internal cadence: Please say yes please say yes please say yes ]

[lyingheart]

Screwdrivers don't.

[ She says dryly, after he calls out his own joke. Her temptation to cross her arms over her chest is there, but she refrains, settling one hand on her hip instead. Both her eyebrows hike up at his suggestion of giving her an example by cursing her. ]

What. Who the hell would say yes to that?

[hexyouup]

[ Someone way, way too trusting, that's who. ]

Aw, c'mon! It'll be harmless, I swear! [ Index finger still withstanding: ] There are good sides, even to dark magic!

[lyingheart]

[ She holds up her hands, in a "stop" motion. ]

I'm sure there is, though it could stand to have a better name. Magic is a tool, so on, so forth, people are the minds behind the weapon. If it's so harmless, hex yourself.

[hexyouup]

[ His head leans over to one side. ] I didn't name it myself, silly! Dark magic's been around for forever! Maybe even five or six-ever!

[ That's. Not the point, so much... ]

Aw, it's not the same doing it to myself...

[ Like masturbation vs sex, but with 500% more self-harm. ]

[lyingheart]

Five or...

[ She understands a moment later, blinking and then slowly shaking her head. No... she's going to ignore that. ]

Maybe not, but it would be a demonstration. Anyway, I'm not volunteering.

[ With a more firm shake of her head, she... steps up onto a chair to get into the next aisle and start walking away. Because that's entirely necessary, Annie, what even. ]

[hexyouup]

[ So... she wants a demonstration, but also said she wasn't volunteering. But chairs can't decline, now can they? Thus, as she conveniently steps up, Henry cracks open his heavy, red spellbook, mutters something indiscernible, and--]

Liftoff!

[ It's hardly a rocket, but the chair does begin to levitate, no more than two feet or so from the ground. Congrats, Annie -- it's hardly a scene from Aladdin, but it's definitely a magic something ride. ]

[lyingheart]

[ She's used to flying through the air, but under her own dictation and control. Annie catches her balance on the levitating chair, then flips herself forward and off, landing in a crouch in the next aisle over. When she stands, she whips her head around to stare at Henry. ]

If you're going to be throwing magic around, at least bother someone else with it.

[ She gestures toward the door, where a few people are still chatting it up; all of then citizens of the city, from the absence of goodie bags and the excited way they gesticulate about what else they're helping with in this orientation. ]

You can demonstrate what you do to someone without using them as your target!

[ She's just frustrated, because she doesn't have a defense for magic. Annie personally uses demonstrations on others as a point, but not a teaching reference. ]

Whisper To Me -- Viewer

[cowared]

[ The Nian has looked through several of these streams now, and besides all of them having a remarkably sexual bent to them none of them have stood out to him much. Not being a huge fan of porn he's largely watched a few minutes to see if there's anything worth seeing, maybe left a comment, and moved on.

He's miffed about the streamer that's using his own face for it, but has no way of knowing where the streamer is, and hasn't put a lot of effort into stopping it. The other videos have been a distraction even if they're boring.

This one... this one is a little weird though, and the Nian does stop and watch for a moment. Is this a sex thing too? Do people like hearing that during sex?

Humans really are strange, but he'll helpfully leave a comment on the stream still. ]

His eyes will probably stay the same color.

[ He's not taking this situation as seriously as he probably should, but he doesn't see this as being actually dangerous for the man tied to the chair. Even if it is, isn't it the man's fault for agreeing to let someone do this to him? ]

[hexyouup]

[ Humans are strange enough as it is, yes. And then there's Henry: the metaphorical icing on that cake; or perhaps more accurately, the nuts on the sundae.

You get the idea.

And if this is to be a manifestation of his greatest, wildest fantasies, then it's sure to be a strange show, indeed. ]

Huh? [ There's text on the screen; someone's speaking to him? He reads it out loud to himself under his breath before responding. ]

Guessing's no fun! It's better if we find out, don't you think~?

[cowared]

its not a guess though

[ Though to be fair most of the people that the Nian has killed he didn't see their eyes when they died. Some of them, depending on if he got a leg or arm first rather than the head portion of a person or the whole thing at once.

He doesn't remember ever seeing massive differences in the color unless blood flooded them for some reason.

Should he clarify this, or is that a bad idea even if this guy is pretending to be a killer... or is possibly actually a killer?

He probably shouldn't clarify. ]

actually i take it back
it was a guess
but i dont think that guy really wants to find out

[hexyouup]

[ He definitely shouldn't clarify. Henry is an actual killer, yes -- though, primarily by way of being a soldier and thereby obligated to defeat his enemies more so than anything else. Killing kinda comes with the territory, in his line of work.

But torture? Now that's for fun. And someone has to indulge him on that, right?

....right? ]

How do you know?

[ If the Nian's mission was to stall Henry, he's achieved that. ]

[cowared]

[ Nothing the Nian ever does is really all that intentional. He's helped whoever this poor sap is, but he mostly stumbled into doing that without really trying.

Now he's trying to figure out how to get himself out of the mess he created for himself. He gladly would have let this guy get tortured and killed if it meant he didn't have to come up with some kind of excuse, because he's absolutely terrible at lying. ]

know what?

[ So he stalls for himself too. ]

[hexyouup]

[ Regardless of intent behind it, it's effective. Henry comes relatively full-stop, head tilting at the camera with almost bird-like curiosity. His tone remains chipper, bright, and cheery as ever, even if his expression seems to have... slipped? maybe, a little. ]

That they don't need a curse, silly!

[ "Need" replacing "want" here, perhaps. Gee, it's just so hard for him to keep those two straight sometimes...! ]

[cowared]

[ The Nian considers the guy on screen with Henry. He definitely doesn't look happy to be there, and while the Nian can't say he's particularly worried about him, he can say with some certainty... ]

no one needs a curse

[ This isn't noble, this is him just plainly responding with what he thinks is a fact. He's never heard of a positive curse in his life. ]

[hexyouup]

[ Wow, way to break a guy's heart!!

Henry's hand falls. ]

O-of course they do! I was super important to Chrom's army!

[ The bad guys needed curses, at least! And he cursed 'em up good! ...Or bad, as was the case. ]

[cowared]

Who is Chrom?

[ He can't really argue if this is or isn't true, but it doesn't seem to him like curses would be important to an army. If anything, wouldn't curses cause problems for the army?

He may not be thinking about cursing the enemy right now. ]

[hexyouup]

He's the leader of the Shepherds! The war was getting boring, so I joined their cause.

[ And that is legitimately what it was: Boredom. Nothing is more frustrating; nothing feels more wasteful. ]

Speaking of boring--

[ Can he please get back to cursing now?? ]

[cowared]

[ He should be allowed to, but the Nian is now taking offense at being called boring. Regardless of whether Henry meant that about him in particular, or just this conversation is really beside the point.

The poor sap in the chair really should be trying to escape in this ample amount of time the Nian is buying him without meaning to. ]

I'm not boring!

[hexyouup]

Huh?

[ This has got to be the most successful derailment of Henry's torture -- and by association, sexual satisfaction -- in his noted history. ]

Not you, not cursing!

[ That... probably doesn't compute, entirely. ]

[cowared]

[ It's quite an accomplishment that the Nian wasn't even trying to accomplish.

He does relax a little realizing he's not being insulted. It doesn't take much to rile him up, but takes equally little to pacify him.

Though he isn't really sure he understands. ]

Not me not cursing? Me cursing?

[ Oh wait! ]

You not cursing?

[notcharming]

Porn isn't really Ereuvir's "thing". Sex isn't always really Ereuvir's "thing" either, though he's not opposed to it. But all of these dualcam streams have been completely fascinating to watch, including his own. He doesn't know any of these people, yet, but seeing these glimpses into all of their worlds has been so interesting!

He's flipping through for the evening, little else to do at this time of night in the Down and he's still working on his almost dogged pursuit of a Dominant (one in particular, at this point, though she doesn't know it yet), but it's too late for him to reasonably be out and about in the Up and so it's time for some other entertainment.

So he's curled up with a glass of wine and his strange little network device and flipping through the different streams when...

Oh.

Oh, hello.

He pages back to that last one, where there had been the bloodsplattered, smiling man, watches for a few more seconds as he toys with his "victim" who seems to be there of their own free will, isn't even struggling very hard. It's not exactly arousal that he's feeling, because it's something entirely more complicated, but there's just something suddenly compelling, about watching someone trip so carelessly up to that thin line between life and death.

bartheway: It seems like that would kill them entirely too quickly to be entertaining.

It's sort of inane. Entertaining for whom? The viewers? The streamer? The victim? But Ereuvir doesn't care so much about the content as the contact. He has to know more about who this person is.

[hexyouup]

[ Henry might not normally pay much attention to outside input at this very crucial point, but... perhaps this one has a point. It would be kind of a pain to end the life of this willing participant so soon, considering he'd have to go out and fetch another in order to continue. ]

Maybe you're right...

[ Ah, but he's a curious, (and bloodthirsty), young man, and at least one of those desires must be sated, at this point. ]

Ooh, I could take a finger first! It's just a little blood--[ "little", he says ]--but that would be fun!

[ Fun for the streamer, in this case. So long as he's flinging curses and spells, he's enjoying himself. ]

[notcharming]

[Death is not something Ereuvir takes lightly, nor torture and harm. It is, after all, his purpose and right to punish those who would harm others. He enjoys torturing the wicked, not the just. But the participant still isn't really struggling at all, seems to almost be anticipating it with some amount of glee as well, so, at least for now, Ereuvir is more apt to play along than try to convince him to stop.]

Do curses come that specific?

[It's a genuine question, and more like he's egging him on than doubting him in any way, or at least powerfully curious.]

[hexyouup]

[ To be fair, that's more or less the reason Henry is as into this exact moment as he is. Were his companion struggling, begging to be let go, he's not nearly so sadistic a person that he would continue in spite of that. No -- it's because he's being actively indulged that this persists. That is what entices him most. ]

You bet!

[ That voice is... completely contradictory to the display on-screen, to say the least. ]

A wave of my hand and a couple words, and I could take an eye, a finger -- or even one hair from a head!

[notcharming]

I want to see.

[Hunger doesn't come across in text, but boy does he try anyway.]

Finesse like that takes power. Anyone can kill someone. It's keeping someone alive that takes talent.

[If Ereuvir was a better man, perhaps that would be a bid to save this volunteer's life. But he's not, and it's really just his opinion on magic, and power in general, really.]

[hexyouup]

[ ...Oh.

Normally, it wouldn't hold such weight, but... here and now, the very phrase "I want" bends Henry, (or this very dark and rough take on him, rather), like a young, weakened tree limb under duress. ]

Ah, I see, I see!

[ In a very rare display indeed, Ereuvir gets a glance at dark eyes now, perhaps proof of just how shocked and intrigued the mage is. ]

Any requests~?

[ He's all ears. Tell him which feats marvelous and macabre feats of dark magic you'd like to see, dear viewer. ]

[notcharming]

Impress me.

[It would be purred and it's likely a good thing he's not there right now, because he might derail things entirely and he doesn't wish to.]

Whatever ways in which you desire. I'm as curious to learn about your type of magic as I am the rest of it.

But I want to see how close you can skirt them to death without tumbling them over. Show me that razor's edge.

[He promises nothing, neither money for the channel (he's not even sure how to do that) nor anything else, but there's an implicit reward in the words all the same.]

it's all about sex

[ashibumi]

[It seems like a lot of people were in much more of a hurry to get out than Takumi was, because he's been left stuck in his seat while people around him swarm to the exit. While he's taller than some, he knows he's not taller than most, and he'd rather not be trampled, so he wisely stays put until he has more clearance.

Unfortunately, it leaves him stuck being the audience to this guy, who thinks that lube is a good thing to eat.]

That's gross. No.

[hexyouup]

[ Hey, it's gotta be flavored for a reason, right? Ergo, edible! Besides, he's not squirting it into his mouth like so much whipped cream on a midnight fridge raid -- he just took a lick, that's all! ]

Aaw, c'mon! [ Let him just... waggle that sticky finger at you, Takumi. Because that's so seductive, and obviously the way to talk anyone into anything. Clearly. ] Don't you like cherry? If not, I'm sure it comes in other flavors!

[ashibumi]

[It still seems gross. He's felt the texture of that stuff. It's not exactly something he wants to think about eating, even if it is edible.]

It's not that I don't like the flavor, it's-- It's like slime.

[And it's gross. He's batting that hand away.]

I don't know how you're not gagging at that.

[hexyouup]

[ LE GASP! ]

You mean you've never had slime?!

[ Cue Henry acting like Takumi's never experienced the culinary rapture of Nutella or something.

Also, that's probably how he's not gagging. ]

[ashibumi]

... no?

[Should he have? Natto is pretty slimy, and that's disgusting to him, so he's not sure he'd ever want to eat anything with the same consistency.]

Slime is something you find on rocks, or on frogs or fish. You don't eat it.

[hexyouup]

So you've never tried it, not even once?

[ Well, well. Someone's clearly never gone hungry for long.

But here's an interesting question for ya: ]

How do you know something's gross if you've never tried it?

[ It's a... pretty relevant question, given the setting they're in. ]

[ashibumi]

Just based on how it looks, I don't want to try it.

[Clearly, Henry has never seen the horror of natto. But at this rate, he's probably the kind of guy that would eat natto like a fish drinks water, if he had his guess.]

[hexyouup]

[ Oh he's seen horrors, alright, just maybe not that specific horror.

...And even then, would he classify it as such? It's Henry. ]

So something has to look good for you to try it?

[ Food, strange liquids... men... ]

[ashibumi]

[That question sounds... weird.]

Yeah? Isn't that the case for anything? No one is going to eat something they find unappealing.

[hexyouup]

[ Um. Consider the source. ]

But something unappealing at first glance could end up being fun!

[ ...wait. ]

[ashibumi]

The head cook at home always said that we eat with our eyes first.

[It makes sense to him. Something could be the best tasting thing in the world, but if it looks nasty, it's not going in his mouth.]

[hexyouup]

[ There's a pause. A long, long pause. The mother of all bad signs.

And then, that index finger waves once again. ]

So, feed you blindfolded, is what you're saying. Then you'll be all set!

[ashibumi]

What? No!

[He's not being blindfolded by someone he's never met before! He's not stupid.

... okay, so he'd let Aspen blindfold him. But that was one time! And he had met Aspen before!]

Even if I couldn't see it, I'm not going to eat something slimy!

It’s All About Sex

[dragonvein]

[Corrin was a victim of politeness -- he'd allowed others to stream out off the hall before him, and as a result was at the tail end of the line, just waiting for people to shove their way out of the doors and allow him his sweet, sweet escape. After all, even after now having had sex coming into this orientation, that still didn't make these demonstrations any less completely, utterly horrible.

He'd noticed someone walking towards the front of the stage once everyone else was leaving, and despite his better judgement, he curiously turns around to see exactly what that person was doing, only for Henry to speak up as soon as he did.]

Ah...

[His brow furrows a tad, looking at Henry's fingers.]

I'm fine.

[hexyouup]

[ For a first-timer, this basic How do Sex 101 was a fairly interesting demonstration, even if there are a few -- okay, a lot -- of key elements Henry doesn't, and won't grasp for a bit yet. But he's nothing if not an apt pupil, with a rather wicked curiosity and a need to investigate certain things. A lot of things. Especially Unpleasant things.

Case in point: the lube. ]

You mean, you weren't before? [ His head tilts slightly, that lube-smeared finger still upright in the air per his typical body language, regardless. ] But you haven't even tried it yet!