"you're becoming a puppet," adrianus slowly murmured. "becoming more and more limp and relaxed... unable to move... until your strings are attached and pulled..."

numbness spread through jim's body. his mind latched onto the suggestions easily - not just because he was used to listening to adrianus, and used to being hypnotized in general, but also because the idea resonated with him. he couldn't even fully articulate what it was, really. especially not when his mind was so focused on them, and he didn't have much room or even much desire to think about anything else. something about it, something about even the word, puppet, evoked an image that felt fitting to him. that felt powerful.

he went very limp, more quickly than he thought possible.

"there you go... very good," adrianus said. "you'll make such a good puppet, won't you? you'll just let yourself be guided... you'll just let yourself be pulled by my strings... no need to make any movements of your own... your body is simply an object. you... are simply an object."

he let out a sigh, the only real sound he could make at that moment. the words seemed to go right through his mind, hitting something deep.

it felt absurdly good to give into. he supposed he'd been trained to enjoy the feeling of giving in, in general.

"just feel all of those strings attaching..." adrianus said softly. "able to pull you so precisely... so perfectly... so that even an empty puppet like you... can move... almost as if it's alive... even if it's just an object..."

his mind hadn't completely become empty yet, but the reminder, the phrase, "empty puppet," made his thoughts melt away.

he could feel it. he could feel the strings attaching, that slight, subtle feeling.

"now... just to test if the strings are properly attached... i'm just going to lift your right hand... lifting it by the wrist... pulling the string on your wrist up... up... up..."

it did feel as if it was being pulled, the wrist alone rising in a slow, sometimes jerky motion as everything else stayed limp.

"very good... good puppet," they said, their praise sending tingles through his otherwise numb body. "now i'll just pull your fingers and hands up along with it... rising up... for a more natural position..."

he was used to the hand or wrist levitation, but not to this particular variant of it. sometimes, one finger seemed to rise a little more quickly than the others, as if every part of the hand was moving separately.

"good... i'm just testing the individual strings... you can be moved and puppeted more naturally, in more smooth motions, too. i'm just going to let your arm drop... right now. there... it's completely limp, without the strings lifting it..."

it almost surprised him, how limply it did drop.

"every movement you make as a puppet is controlled by the strings... no matter how natural or fluid it looks. you will feel how you aren't moving your own body... it is being moved... it's being controlled... manipulated... by my strings. every movement will feel this way. you don't need to understand exactly how it happens... it's a complicated art... a motion in one part of the body, controlled directly by the movement of a string, can affect another part of the body... and when a puppeteer is skilled enough... you don't even notice... which movements are directly from the pull of the strings... and which ones aren't. you don't see the strings... you don't know where all of them are... and you don't need to know all of the technical details... you can just feel that you're being manipulated... that you are an object that is only being made to move like a person. you might feel the tug of the strings on some parts of your body... but other times... there may be too many precise movements happening at once for you to even tell... and you'll accept that. because you're just a puppet, after all... you don't need to know. you only need to allow it to move your body."

he only needed to allow it... he didn't need to know.

it was a reassuring suggestion.

"now... i'm going to make you stand up, and take a few steps forward. you're just going to allow me to do it... you're going to allow your body to be manipulated. you can trust that every movement will be smooth and natural enough that you can walk safely, that you will be stable and balanced... but you will know that they aren't your own movements... that you're being controlled. it will be nice and slow... that's right... standing up..."

he rose up, slowly and almost hesitantly at first, but then he felt it. the pull.

"just let me do everything, jim... you're just a puppet now..."

he relaxed, and despite relaxing, he rose up, taking a few slow steps forward. or, his body did. there was a vague pull, a vague tug, coming from above, particularly on his arms. he felt like he was hanging on it. he was being moved.

"that's right... there you go... and i'll just stop you there... still holding you up... still making you stand. now, i know you're very empty... and you would find it much easier to just repeat anything you're told to repeat... but you're still capable of speaking on your own when asked. just tell me, how do you feel?"

it took him a moment to find the words, and another moment to actually move his mouth. "it feels good..." he mumbled blankly.

"are you being a good puppet, and allowing the strings to do everything?"

"i am... i really... felt it. i really feel it..."

"very good... i know it may take some time to fully get used to it. it's alright if sometimes, for a moment, you do try to move... because you'll remember... that you're just a puppet... an empty puppet... and you can just let go... and let the strings carry you. let them do everything... just trust your puppeteer... i can make you do everything you could have done on your own as a human... any motion, any movement, no matter how precise, or delicate... if you just give in... and be a nice, empty, obedient puppet for me... just like i know you can be. isn't that right? just nod your head..."

it nodded on its own, pulled by the strings.

"there you go... there's no need to even think. and it will feel good... it will only feel better... the more you're puppeted... the more you let go... the emptier you become... you're doing such a good job. you make such a good puppet..."

they stepped around him, stepping in front of him. he stayed staring ahead, so he couldn't fully see their face.

"you have such a nice, blank face, too..." they caressed his cheek, before tilting his head up.

his arms were still at his sides, still and limp.

"i'll just keep your head up like this..." they said, lowering their hand, wrapping their arms around him. "and i'll just pull your arms... around me..."

his arms were puppeted into an embrace.

"now, i'll just make sure you keep your balance and don't fall... as i dip you down... that's right..." they tilted him back.

his body only moved enough to stop itself from falling. he felt not only the pull of the strings, but adrianus' arms holding him up. the feeling of his limp, relaxed body being pulled down by gravity, but still held up by adrianus, really did made him feel like a puppet. it felt right.

"how do you feel now?" they asked softly.

"blank," he said.

"that's right. very good. good puppet..."

he only fell deeper, his mind becoming more hollow and empty with each passing second. he really was their puppet.

they kissed him, muttering commands under their breath, moving his hands, tilting his head. making him go through the motions. telling him exactly what to say, making him repeat it in a dull voice. he was a toy for them to amuse themself with. no matter how smooth the motion of his hand was as it caressed their back, it was only their own puppeteering. it was masturbatory.

but it felt good, to just be an object for them.