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duplicitymemes2021-11-10 08:44 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2021-11-10 08:44 pm
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TDM #21
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It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. Yet, solace is found in the lies we tell each other, comforted by the peace of knowing that we're not alone in our depravity, and once on this path, sin itself becomes the lesser of two evils masked in a cloud of normalcy. This is how Duplicity has functioned since the beginning. The divide of power and social standing is overt in that Dominants influence the decisions made both publicly and privately while Submissives cater to the rules presented to them. It is the way of Duplicity to assign random designations at birth with no leeway in altering what has been given. Climate in the Up is far stricter than that of the Down; violating outlined personas for a Dominant or Submissive while in full view of others is punished by degree of infraction. In the Down, many tend to turn a blind eye to these sorts of offenses. To counteract the discovery of the Deceit Gene – a natural "negative" response to all stimuli – the L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues. ... and you’re here! Finally! Welcome to Duplicity. After choosing a door and stepping through to the other side, the first thing that greets you are the enthusiastic faces of people in medical scrubs and pristine lab coats. Their enthusiasm translates to eagerness as they strip you of your clothes to perform a thorough examination—you will be healed, bathed, and given a paper gown to wear until your items can be processed and delivered to your residence later in the evening. You are also given a device that accesses the network as well as the time and location of orientation. If you enter Duplicity into the Up, congratulations! You’re a Dominant, which means you are immediately picked up by a limo after processing and taken to your highrise. Here, it is two Dominants per floor with separate apartments. If you enter Duplicity into the Down, congratulations! You’re a Submissive, which means you are directed towards public transportation with the address of the motel you’ll be living in. Here, it is two Submissives per room with a shared common space for all rooms. Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new and old arrivals. Autumn is in full swing and the weather is cool and damp. |
 After stepping through the door and participating in orientation, LIERS are assembled together in the Up for a tour of Duplicity in its entirety. Seats are in pairs and randomly assigned to Dominants and Submissives alike. Traveling from Fiddler's Square, the train journeys through various parts of the Up, showcasing society and examples of lifestyle. Along the way, frequent stops are made; a variety of passengers can be seen exiting and entering the doors. A Dominant with a kneeling Submissive takes a seat near the front of the train at one stop. A small group of Submissives board and sit closer to the LIERS at another, all seemingly content in their roles. As the tour continues through the Up, the train passes close to the Market and White Wall Bridge and zips by North Park before heading into the Down and bypassing Red Wall Bridge and South Park. The train makes a "final" stop at Riddler's Square, where inhabitants of the Down are instructed to return to their temporary housing. Those who live in the Up are permitted to stay on the train and revisit the same locations while returning. |
 (cw: coercion)With the days growing shorter and the weather chillier, LIEs has decided to partner with a popular hotel chain in Duplicity to showcase its new themed rooms and encourage those who have recently arrived to get warm and cozy (if not hot and heavy) with one another. Rather than taking place on site at one of the hotels, a demo area has been set up in the Orientation building for a limited time, making use of three of its many empty rooms, transforming them for lucky pairs to enjoy. Of course it's not just new arrivals who are expected to participate—both current and graduated participants may find themselves roped in as well, paired off with fresh new faces or familiar ones. Pairings are randomized, though always a Dominant and a Submissive, and the demo sessions last 1-2 hours. There are three different themed rooms to try — Azure, Malachite, and Scarlet — each with a distinct color palette. Though they vary in decor and amenities, all three have a queen sized bed, en suite bathroom, minibar (stocked with aphro treats), complimentary aphro mints on the pillow, and a standard array of sex toys to choose from (dildos, vibrators, plugs, cock rings, etc.) Each room will also have its own special atmospheric effect on characters, though how strongly it will influence their desires may vary from person to person. All those who participate will receive coupons for a discounted stay at the actual hotel chain if they wish to book a room overnight after enjoying the demo rooms. 'Tis the season, after all, to indulge in one's deepest, darkest desires. |
 (cw: aphro, dubcon, potential for various kinks including but not limited to age play, pet play, other types of roleplay, medical kink, bondage, temperature play, electrostimulation, large insertions, and monster dicks) The Azure Room is decorated in sleek futuristic style with blue lighting and lots of clean lines. The walls and ceiling are mirrored and most furniture, aside from the bed and certain… specialty items, is made of glass. The bathroom is tiled in dark blue and features both a glass-walled shower with multiple adjustable and detachable showerheads and a freestanding bath filled with ice water. All sorts of toys, kinky implements, costumes, and accessories are available for use—including, of particular note, a large collection of brightly colored silicone dildos with unconventional shapes reflecting alien or monstrous anatomy. Dragon dicks? Of course. Tentacle dildo? You bet. Some of these even have a special base that allows them to be connected to various fucking machines in place of the standard attachments. A padded leather exam chair (blue, naturally) with ankle stirrups and a ceiling-mounted sex swing round out the room's more niche furnishings. Upon entering, both characters will feel a general willingness to experiment. They may feel especially drawn toward roleplay (of various kinds), pet play, leather/lace/latex clothing fetishes, temperature play (ice or wax), medical kink, or electrostimulation—but really, anything goes. This room is all about broadening one's horizons and it has a little something for everyone. |
 (cw: altered mental states, aphro, dubcon, service (sexual or domestic), bondage, human furniture, face-sitting/forced oral, orgasm control/denial, master/servant roleplay, shaving kink)The Malachite Room is stunningly opulent with ornately carved dark wooden furniture, rich fabrics, and damask wallpaper. There's a crown motif running through many of the designs and nearly everything that isn't wood or metal is some shade of green. The bed is a massive four poster with an emerald green canopy, and directly across from it sits a lavish velvet throne. The bathroom boasts a large sunken tub with an array of soaps, scented bubble baths, and massage oils lined up within easy reach. A selection of toys are laid out on silver serving trays on the dresser: butt plugs with jeweled bases and glass dildos, the aesthetic ranging from elegant to outright gaudy. Silk scarves are draped across another tray along with neatly-looped bundles of rope. The throne, upon closer inspection, has a semi-circular opening in the seat cushion and a fabric sling below where someone lying beneath it might rest their head. When a pair enters the room, one will feel an inclination toward service and submission, while the other will feel the desire to be served or simply exert control. They may wish to engage in master/servant or royalty roleplay, body worship, massage, bondage, human furniture kink, shaving/washing/grooming kinks, orgasm control/denial, and other kinks of a similar nature. The role each character feels inclined toward does not have to match their designation, e.g. a Dominant might feel the urge to get on their knees. |
 (cw: altered mental states, aphro, dubcon, sadomasochism, bondage, caging/confinement, humiliation) The Scarlet Room is, well, vibrantly scarlet, with mood lighting to match. The style is closer to a dungeon than a hotel room, though still a luxurious one—all red leather upholstery and gleaming stainless steel. The bed sits inside a floor-to-ceiling circular metal cage with a door that latches from the outside. The bathroom has no door, leaving it in full view of the rest of the room at all times. In addition to the basic amenities, it also features a heart-shaped jacuzzi. A padded table with attached restraints and a smaller cage underneath, a spanking bench, and an x-frame bondage cross make up most of the other furniture. One wall is dedicated to a rack of toys and equipment, such as stainless steel dildos and plugs, sounding rods, anal hooks, spreader bars, rope, cuffs, chastity devices, clothespins and nipple clamps, gags, hoods, blindfolds, paddles, whips, floggers, crops, and canes. There is also a small selection of knives and tools for branding. When a pair enters this room, one will feel an inclination toward dishing out punishment and the other will feel a desire to be punished. These sadomasochistic urges can take many forms, such as impact play, knife play and/or blood play, branding, nipple/breast torture, genital torture, bondage, caging/confinement, and humiliation. The role each character feels inclined toward does not have to match their designation, e.g. a Submissive might wish to take a Dominant over their knee and spank them. |
 (cw: aphro/drugs)In a bid to boost local businesses, as well as make contracts, LIEs has partnered with the coffee chain Peek-A-Brew to help play matchmaker this time around. Along with the usual goodie bag, each character will be handed a small slip of paper after Orientation with a date and time, location, and three fun facts about a mystery partner they're to meet for a coffee date. These "facts" may or may not actually be true — they're simply meant to spark conversation. For the duration of the 1-2 hours the pairs are expected to spend getting to know one another, they will receive unlimited free coffee and tea and a discount on any other menu items. Naturally, all goods are spiked to make the consumers more agreeable, more truthful, and perhaps a bit more handsy than normal. Though the meetings are not mandatory, touching the paper brings on an inexplicable sense of curiosity about meeting their partner and discovering who they really are. |
Please read carefully. On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, characters will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chooses "left" or "right." When participating on the TDM, there will be a third option. Players may link either a top level or a thread (five or more comments from their character) from the TDM and title the link as "Door Pass." This means that the player is choosing to take the designation that they were randomly assigned on the TDM, rather than taking the designation of a door. If the player decides to select a door rather than use the pass, then they are trying their luck; they may get the same designation they had on the TDM or the opposite. Once the application is submitted, players can't change their choice. To assign roles to characters for this TDM, use the following guide: If your character prefers tea, they are a Submissive. If your character prefers coffee, they are a Dominant. To Note: Characters can only swap their designation for one of the following reasons: an event occurs that allows it or there are OOC reasons that make it a necessity. Any swap always requires mod approval and each character can only ever switch once. Characters that are being reapped will keep their previous designation but players can choose to use new TDMs with different designations for fun! Test Drive threads can be used as activity proofs for characters currently in-game. Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
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He sets the cup back down and looks at Jack curiously. Why is he so unbothered, "relaxed," to be conversing with a pirate? Even to him it makes no real sense, yet he still can't muster up any heat to get upset about it-- for some reason he'd rather just continue sitting here in the man's company and getting to know him, gaze shifting slightly every so often to appreciate the pirate's dashing sideburns or how his long fingers curl around the handle of his coffee mug, a strangely charged giddiness guiding his eyes back up to Jack's.
And then Irving quickly drops his gaze down to his own hands in sudden alarm, taking a slug from his own coffee like downing a shot before finally, at length, he says slowly: ]
I believe that perhaps something could be deeply wrong with me.
[ He says it quietly, almost gravely, then immediately regrets speaking the thought aloud; it hadn't actually been intended as any kind of answer to Jack's question, but rather Irving scolding himself for giving into whatever weak impulse had moments before compelled him to look at another man's hands.
Forcing a brief laugh as if it'd just been a joke -- or an awkward attempt at one, anyway -- that he simply failed to stick the landing with, Irving commits by then adding: ]
Perhaps I feel that... that even sworn opposition such as you and myself should still be capable of, of breaking bread with one another every now and again, and-- and other small and simple gestures of diplomacy such as these.
[ Complete BS. Thankfully, Jack had also just told Irving something that Irving's far more interested in, which makes it easier to jump back onto. ]
But... [ Interested in, but in a "deeply troubled by this information" sort of way. ] We are on an island, are we not? Surrounded by water, and clearly inhabited. How can it possibly be that there are no ships?
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That makes you smarter than the other one.
[ Bullshit or not, that's an attitude much more convenient to deal with than having uniformed rats tailing him all over the city. He'll hope that he sticks to it. As for the rest...shit. It makes his head hurt and his bones tired to even think about, but from one sailor to another, he can try. His hands fall flat against the table, rings knocking against the lacquered wood, fingers thrumming thoughtfully, while he figures a way to be succinct. ]
Wish I could tell you, I truly do. What I can say, is that a ship can't leave this place, and neither can a skiff, a life raft, or even a determined fucking swimmer. The sea will pick you up and wash you right back to where you started. I know a man who built a boat just to test it. You ask the locals, and they will look at you like you've grown an extra nose and explain that there's nothing beyond the water anyway. I don't know why. I don't know how. This place is oftentimes so baffling that asking questions only makes things more confusing.
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The irony perhaps being that he's certainly no 30-year-old virgin, nor is he even particularly sexually inexperienced (at least in terms of number, if clearly not quite creativity or adventurousness yet), no matter how prudish he may seem; by and large, sex in itself is not the issue for him, but rather, the depravity. ]
I take it you must be referring to Lieutenant Thomas Jopson.
[ Technically there are two "other ones" that Irving is aware of so far, at least in terms of Royal Navy in particular, but he refuses to acknowledge Cornelius Hickey if he doesn't actually have to.
And at least now Irving knows why Jopson hadn't warned him there were pirates here, although how he could have possibly missed such a fact is something Irving may have to ponder more on later.
Much, much later. The words "a ship can't leave this place," not to mention everything else that follows, makes Irving's blood immediately run cold. He wills his hands not to start shaking around his coffee cup. ]
Then we really are trapped here. Indefinitely trapped. [ He suppose it makes sense, though; if people could escape so simply, then surely there would no longer be anyone still here. ] How do you live with it, Mr. Rackham?
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[ He's met Hickey. Jury's still out on how he feels about him, but his gut feeling is that he's a hell of a lot more interesting than Jopson, and probably breathes a lot easier by virtue of not having his head so far up his ass. He could be swayed into something a bit more fulfilling, he thinks, than raising bibles in the air and prattling on about God and country and decorum and the good glory of civilization. ]
I do what I have to do, to stay sane and improve my station. Get acquainted with all of this new technology as soon as you're able. Drink good spirits. Find a naughty girl or two to keep you out of their fuck-jail.
[ he's winging it. ]
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And besides, Jopson should have told him about the pirates sooner, so for now Irving is simply going to let the matter lie. ]
Spirits-- [ He practically sighs the word with relief; he's so used to strict rations that he'd not even considered simply drinking his way through this. ] Yes, I suppose that's right... and at quantity as well, I imagine. A rare blessing.
[ You know... for Hell. But, being a sailor, Irving does also like his booze, so, he'll take the win where he can get one.
He fumbles his network device from the pocket of his coat, looking at it briefly; Jopson had given him a brief but efficient rundown on how to work the thing, but Irving hasn't really bothered with trying yet. ]
This technology?
[ Never mind him just casually avoiding having to address the "naughty girls" and "fuck-jail" parts of that advice for now... ]
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That. This. [ He points upward with towards the ceiling with a twirl of his finger, at the commercial light fixtures illuminating the cafe, before leaning over, arms crossed on the table. ] Cars, trains, all the things zipping across the streets turning them into death traps. Hot water, on demand. Everything you can think of is different, it's like being from the stone age. People like us have never seen some of the things the locals take for granted.
[ Mr. Irving, those are pretty crucial bits of advice to be ignoring! Find naughty lads instead, for all he cares, but figure it out. ]
This quota will be the least of your concerns. [ Jack flips the card he was given over, rereading that ghastly first item with an unfortunate raise of his eyebrows. ] It might even do you some good.
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For example: he looks up when Jack points, smiling slightly at the light fixtures and nodding. The technological and industrial progress in this place is definitely not what frightens him. He's lived to see many advancements unfold in real time himself, and he's not even 35. ]
Speaking of blessings. [ Still smiling. ] Hot water showers. I washed myself until the water turned cold.
[ Granted, he extremely needed it; they may have washed him during intake but he could still feel the grime of years at sea itching all over every part of him. As for the rest of it -- the cars, the train, the devices -- though Irving's only glimpsed the tip of how far things have progressed since his own time, so far most of what he's encountered here are things fairly easy to understand the purpose of.
His smile disappears so fast it's like it was never there at all, face paling to a sickly shade before a bloom of color spreads from ear to ear like a stripe of sunburn. Irving leans in slightly so he can be heard, voice low and tone stiff: ]
I'm not sure if I appreciate your implications, Mr. Rackham.
[ What the fuck is written about him on that card? ]
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[ There may have been a shower during the intake process, but it doesn't quite leave one feeling clean, waking up in a strange place and being poked at by strangers. Hot water or not, it was an unmatched shitshow.
But that's over and done with. Jack's more interested in figuring out the mess sitting in front of him. The other man stares and spooks in whiplashed turns, with an anxious energy that makes the pirate prickly, and now he's blushing like a schoolgirl. Maybe he's been drugged.
He brings his mug back up to his face and gives it a sniff, a small sip, trying to suss out whether it's been tampered with, but it's no use. If there's any way to tell for sure, he hasn't found it yet, it's likely that this place has managed to invent some drug with no taste, no smell, that makes them do the things they want from them. Miracles on miracles. ]
The implication isn't mine, Mr. Irving. It's theirs.
[ He puts the card down on the table, and slides it towards the other. He's gleaned what he needs from it, no point in keeping it. He taps on item number one with his fingertip.]
If true, you'll need to do something about that. Exciting people and exhilarating situations abound, you don't want to rely on pity fucks, I'm sure.
[ His tone is light enough that he might think he's being helpful. Just as easily could be enjoying seeing a prude squirm. ]
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No doubt the effects of the tea will prove a bit more subtle and insidious, as is most often the case with Duplicity, but all Irving has come to suspect so far is that the drinks may just have a drop of liquor in them, to help soothe one's nerves and lubricate conversation.
Irving follows Jack's lead and puts his own card down on the table as well -- it seems only fair to return the courtesy, since Irving no longer needs it either -- before he lifts the one about him to read. It's blessedly actually less disparaging then he might have feared, although still much more than he'd like any stranger knowing about him. ]
Exaggerated. Highly. [ Not that he knows what's supposed to be shameful about missionary position?? ] Relying on carnal pleasures at all is the behavior of a desperate man-- souls who are lost. Searching for meaning. I do not need to rely on indulging such... urges as they strike me, for I am filled with something far greater: God's graces.
[ He touches his hand to his chest, over his heart. ]
That is what brings me joy. Not women.
[ All this knowing that none of them really have much choice in the matter one way or the other; Irving is still going to have to suck it up somehow whether he likes it or not, and he clearly has not yet figured out how to do that. ]
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Take-- [ Sorry, still laughing. ] Take a look around you, my friend. Unless God's graces can make you come, they won't do you a lick of good around here.
[ And he'd leave him there, returning home to Anne with a delightful little anecdote, if not for the comfortable warmth spreading through him now that he's about finished his cup of coffee. Jack's a sociable sort of guy, has to be, to earn his place among pirates burlier and more obviously fearsome than he, but they've kicked it up just a notch for him, have him giving real advice to potential adversaries who won't listen. ]
Try men out, if that's how you feel. Proselytizing will get you nowhere.
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Inexplicably so, maybe, but Irving doesn't interrogate the impulse.
Also, he can't really argue Jack's point, much as he'd love to: Irving's already all but concluded that God is very clearly not here with them in this place. ]
Maybe so. [ Not that he's admitting Jack's right, or anything. ] But I would still thank you not to speak of God that way again. Not to me, and not in my presence.
[ Duplicity being Godless doesn't mean Irving is going to be any less of a humorless prick about it, though. ]
Do I strike you, sir, as a sodomite? [ He's not flustered, but rather, clearly getting feisty now. ] "Try men out?" Is that what you have done?
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And what, prey tell, are you going to do about it? Smite me yourself? God's not around to do it here.
[ Petty to argue about, but he's not going to be told what to do by anyone, much less a humorless navy bible-thumper. ]
You don't strike me as adventurous enough, now that I think about it. My [ obviously insincere and spat out with a sneer ] apologies. It merely seems as though you might have trouble charming women, given...
[ A vague gesture towards...well, all of that. ]
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Like now, for instance, the way his jaw has clenched and his already-wide-looking eyes have widened slightly further still, shining both with affront and however much effort it's taking him to restrain it from boiling over. Also, increasingly from the drugged up drinks.
When he speaks it's in a very slowly, deliberate manner, like a man trying to explain something to a very stupid child; again, get a load of how popular this guy must be to all his subordinates, right? ]
Of course not. I am a Christian man, Mr. Rackham, I am only appealing to a very basic sense of moral decency that I had hoped even you might posses.
[ Though of course, the next thing is fightin' words: Irving's palms smack down onto the table, hard enough to make it rattle, as he jumps to his feet. ]
Adventurous? [ He barks a laughs, literally goes "HA!" ] I am 3rd lieutenant aboard a ship that's part of the Queen's Royal Navy's Discovery Service! Why, I've seen things you couldn't--
[ Then, taking a sharp breath as he cuts himself off, Irving closes his eyes and holds up a hand like he's forcing himself to settle down, because reactive though he might be, John Irving is still a dignified Englishman
(lol)who is appropriately self-conscious of making a scene in public.He looks at Jack again, sitting back down with a very rigid, pre-tornado sense of calm. A N Y W A Y: ]
... Furthermore, has it occurred to you, sir, that perhaps the reason for why you do not find me charming is simply due to my aim having never been to charm you. I-- [ His eyes rake up and down over Jack as if in appraisal, voice faltering a moment. ] Do not waste your time attempting to seduce me.
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Excuse me, miss? [ Jack snaps his fingers at a waitress, easy enough to get her attention what with Irving jumping up and yelling about his travels. The pirate points at him. ] Be a dear, get my friend something stronger to drink, could you please?
[ For the whole city's sake, please. ]
I don't recall saying anything about seduction...if that is, somehow, what you've gleaned from me questioning your virility, it may be time for you to take a look at yourself. [ The waitress returns, one for Rackham, one for Irving. It doesn't look like the same coffee as before...he doesn't touch it, yet. ] Seems to me, looking for things that are not there would point to some subconscious desire on your part, does it not?
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He's normally in much better control of himself than this. Irving can't explain, not even to himself, some of the things he's been saying or doing or thinking so casually and carelessly during this conversation-- like every locked door in his mind has been suddenly springing open to spill out everything he's always worked so hard to bury out of sight. ]
I...
[ Irving isn't sure what to say, paralyzed with some feeling that is not quite fear, is in fact distressingly closer to a curious type of boldness. Unlike Jack, when their new drinks are brought over, Irving immediately drinks deeply and desperately from his.
Once he's done, clearing his throat, he tries again. ]
Forgive me, then, if I have somehow misread your intentions. Perhaps it is... something about your nature that draws it out of me.
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Seems he's found not just a nerve, but a knife with which to prod at it, and it is devilishly satisfying. He, honestly, had no intention whatsoever of attempting to seduce this man, but now, it almost seems like Irving was wishing he had. Something about his nature draws it out of him?
Might be advantageous. Blackmail. Shattered pride of a potential adversary. A reason to never have to see him in his way again, if his reaction to the act itself is proportional to simply the discussion of it. The look on that fool Jopson's face when he sticks his nose in far enough to find out. Hmmm.
Jack runs a hand through his hair and situates all four legs of his chair back on the floor, so he can lean forward, eyes sparkling with something downright devious, and ask: ]
And tell me, what is that? Something about me has you riled up, so come out with it.
[ His rakish smile? The contour-sideburns? The way his hands are always moving, gesturing, tapping, rough but nimble? Do tell. ]
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He is in Hell right now.
Why he's in Hell right now, not to mention how or when -- as he certainly has no memory of dying, but then again, for all he knows no one ever does -- he still doesn't know, but figuring all that out can wait. Irving has become so tense he looks like he may just spontaneously combust at any moment, his eyes wide with the panicked confusion of a cornered animal.
He shakes his head quickly and even goes so far as to clap a hand over his mouth, as if staying completely silent is the only way to stop the alien influence that's spreading through him like an virus and making him speak and act
his Truthwith wild, perverse abandon, from simply speaking for him instead. ]I... [ His hand moves only just enough so that his words don't disappear into his palm. ] I do not wish to say it.
[ More quietly: ]
Please. Do not ask that of me.
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"Do not waste your time attempting to seduce me."
Do not tell Jack Rackham what he can and can't do. This man is going to suck his dick, or he's going to pass out from excitement at the opportunity.
His tongue slips subtlely, but not too subtle, from his mouth to wet his lips, and when it returns to his mouth it's slightly ajar, his whole face slowly, calculatingly softening. His neck tilts off to one side, and then the other, stretching, waiting. Relaxing. Giving Irving more time to season whatever fantasy he's cooking up in there. ]
A lie of omission is still a lie, isn't it?
[ Slowly, as to not jostle his mark or call undue attention their way, he stands, and reseats himself on the edge of the table, on Irving's side. Close enough that Irving could touch him, should the desire to do so suddenly creep up. Jack's voice lowers to suit this new distance, and keeps only enough of its harder edges to be exciting, interested rather than confrontational. He swallows slowly, loosening him up enough to continue in a private, dangerous purr: ]
Be honest with me. [ Jack blinks, and when he opens his eyes again, he seeks Irving's, prolonging a look between them for as long as the other will allow. ] I want you...to tell me the truth, John. Not another soul has to hear it.
[ Like knives dipped in honey. ]
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Now, Irving's not a complete fool: it does occur to him that Jack may simply be trying to fluster him, to provoke him simply for the sport of it as have many of Irving's subordinates on Terror been known to do every now and again, although obviously none of them ever have, nor ever would, dare try something like this.
He wracks his mind desperately for any kind of other wholesome or inoffensive thoughts which he can direct all his focus toward, but nothing comes-- only the awful, accusatory clarity of Jack's words, which Irving knows he'll never be capable of letting himself forget, particularly not once Jack moves himself around to Irving's side of the table. The blurry reality of Jack's thigh, or perhaps maybe an arm, is now visible at the corner of Irving's eye, tempting him to look. ]
Not once have I lied to you, Mr. Rackham... whatever it is you may think you know about me is nothing more than inappropriate and offensive speculation.
[ His voice is low, gaze still avoidant without quite crossing into being outright skittish. Does it even still count as a lie when it's something he's all but convinced even himself is the truth, as well?
But then Irving's head turns, and though he doesn't at all intend on making eye contact, the first thing his gaze happens to land on are Jack's eyes looking back at him, staring at him with an excruciating intensity that Irving is too afraid to even try interpreting. ]
What... [ That "cornered animal" look is back in his eyes again, although a bit softer now, like Jack is slowly (very slowly) succeeding at putting Irving more at ease. ] What is it that you want from me?
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Jack's still new here, with all he's built stripped from him, just his wits and his name, once again. Why shouldn't he use any and everything at his disposal to climb his way up, as he's always done?
The obviousness with which Irving averts his eyes from him doesn't deter him. It can only mean that it's a great effort to him not to look at him, which means, of course, that he wants to. So he spreads himself out into taking up more space, leaning back with his hands steadily holding him up on the table, his legs unfurl from each other and force a knee into the sailor's field of vision.
And his eyes come back. Perfect. Jack leans forward, very nearly in his space, but could just as easily be understood by a passerby as a private conversation, and not a seduction. ]
I've already asked you. Something about my nature makes you feel as if you're being seduced, regardless of my own intention. If I know what it is, perhaps I can turn it off for you.
[ He won't, but you know. Hypothetically, maybe he could. ]
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Or doing.
His jaw tight, teeth grit and grinding through the small part in his lips before he idly and slowly swipes his tongue over the lower one before he speaks again, Irving stares at Jack, forcing himself not to look away this time.
He keeps his voice low, nearly at the level of a hiss, but clear: ]
Clearly it is something about your nature that has... drawn out something that is-- that is within my own. [ And, lower still: ] I do know it to be there, Rackham. A temptation towards desire. But I did speak falsely to you before: perhaps it is my nature that is more at fault for this than yours.
[ Not that Irving is letting Jack completely off the hook, of course, because that anything -- anyone -- could "draw this out" of him to begin with is not normally something Irving ever lets happen, whenever he can help it.
Or maybe it has all to do with God's absence in Duplicity, the growing certainty which is already building in Irving's mind like a storm, that he can no longer be seen by God at all here. ]
There. You wanted the truth and now, you have it.
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He just knows this man won't sleep a wink tonight, and yet, he doesn't relent. Saying is different than doing, and Jack is a man of action. He maintains eye contact as he twists and scoots to sit even closer in front of him, hands splayed over his own knees and watching. The tension in his face, no, his entire body, at war with himself between desire and self-righteous, pious folly. He'd make a hefty wager that Irving can hear his heart pounding in his ears. Jack's seen it before - not in this context, admittedly, but in dozens of respectable Englishmen who swore they'd never negotiate with pirates.
It only encourages them, after all.
After a long moment looking him up and down, he bites his lip and inhales, long and smooth, an act of faux-hesitation, calculated to look less confident than he is. His voice drops, lower as befits their closer proximity. It's just a hair above a whisper when he settles, prodding just a bit gentler now. ]
Naming the temptation to the tempter...I would say that means the battle is lost, wouldn't you? [ There's a subtle quirk to his eyebrow. Questioning, or cocky? ] There's no reason not to surrender to it. No reason that matters here.
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But he also doesn't feel any worse for it. Later, maybe, but not now. Whether this is of any comfort to him or not is something he is choosing to leave unexamined.
His eyes close for a moment, lips pursed and expression vaguely pained, heart indeed pounding as loud as drums in his ears, but then again he looks over, gaze holding onto Jack's.
The guise works: as Irving watches Jack observing him, the hesitation with which the man bites his lip, leans in closer, Irving believes that Jack could also be, himself, struggling with the same temptations at this moment. He reaches his hand over and rests it over Jack's for a few seconds -- a gesture meant not erotically, but consolatory -- and then draws it back slowly, not so much because of Jack's words but because Irving feels genuinely torn with indecision. Restraint and beliefs and everything else aside, it's true that there is still always the quota to consider, and as a lieutenant, part of Irving's job is to make decisions based from wisdom and practicality more so than from the heart.
And he knows, too, that he couldn't be tempted in the first place by something he didn't, on some level, want. ]
What are you suggesting?
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I am suggesting... [ slowly, choosing his words carefully. this is a precarious tipping point, and Irving is easily spooked. The suggestion comes out as more of a purr than anything, making the vulgarity of it sound sweet. ] Perhaps we should go somewhere else, and force them to knock that first item off your list.
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No: will have to be different. ]
You'll have to show me. How to...
[ Which shouldn't be embarrassing to say, because why would Irving know how to... well, do anything with another man? and yet it still is embarrassing in a way, not to articulate such a lack of experience but to acquiesce out loud: he's complying, he's saying yes. Irving's hand curls a little within Jack's, fingers drawing close against his own palm. ]
And it must be somewhere no one will see us.
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