Duplicity Game Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
duplicitymods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
duplicitymemes2020-05-12 10:04 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2020-05-12 10:04 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #12
« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »
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. The weather is a windy 69 degrees. |
 It's time for the monthly Duplicity train tour. 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. CAUTION On the second day that new arrivals have been in the city, the train will derail due to a malfunction in the computer systems. Anyone on board at the time, Noon, could be injured, stuck, or killed. Emergency services will light up asking for immediate assistance. |
 Two of Duplicity’s largest film production companies are out to recruit new, exciting talent. With the warring success of Subliminal, Sublingual, Sublime and You Scratch My Back, I Claw Yours, they have the influence and the funds to go big. They have reached out to the LIEs program for help with the idea that inclusion in local culture will make incoming LIErs more compliant, not to mention bring fresh blood into the industry. Orientation is just a little different this month. Welcome to the casting couch, LIErs and those unlucky graduates of the program mistakenly sent notice of mandatory attendance, or else… Not everyone has what it takes to be a star. Both Domination Station Films and Studio Hott are in need of plenty of extras to fill in the background of their newest productions. After an initial sorting in the lobby of the newly refurbished Orientation center, some newcomers, LIErs, and graduates are hustled into a quick and dirty costume fitting. The costumes aren’t as nice or detailed as those for potential stars and may be safety pinned in awkward places. Makeup is cheap and sometimes gaudy. It gets the job done. You may not have a speaking role. It doesn’t mean you’re any less important, so get comfy on the furniture or in the pool and get busy promoting the Dominant/submissive culture that drives Duplicity’s society. Unsure of how to act? Better listen closely to the director. There are shock collars and bracelets to “encourage” the unwilling, and the camera will keep rolling until the scene is right. Scenes may be sexually explicit or merely instructive, such as proper seating and kneeling, feeding and serving of Dominants, and keeping a respectful distance in walking. Extras fill any and all roles required by the director for that realistic setting feel. If you are a Dominant extra, be sure to claim elevated seating and show a firm hand toward any submissives cast as your partner. If you’re submissive, it’s the ground or floor for you, depending on where the scene is set. Be attentive to your Dominant’s needs. It’s OK to talk, as long as you keep it down. Anything you say will be taken out in post. Craft services has just what it takes to set the mood. Stop by for a drink or snack. Soon enough those pesky inhibitions will be a thing of the past. (Some, but not all, of the food and drink contains mid to high level aphro effects. The film companies are taking no chances. The scene doesn’t call for intimacy? Good luck keeping your hands to yourself. You may be in for a shocking experience. Repeatedly.) |
 You’ve caught the eye of the studio. You’re ushered into a small room to wait your turn. Whether you’re new to the city or not, you find yourself paired with someone for a screen test. Do they want you for Hungry Hearts or It’s in the Pizza? Read your lines convincingly, make some chemistry with your partner, and you could see your name and other things in lights very soon. Don’t worry if the dialog is cheesy. It’s part of the charm. Having trouble getting into your part? There are costumes hanging on a rack. Try one on. You may find the experience transformative, as though you were made for your role, or it was made for you… (Costumes may or may not affect the personality of the wearer. Those that do will make it much easier to get into character and greatly lower inhibitions when it comes to the more demanding scenes.) Be aware that any sexually explicit scenes will only be filmed between a Dom and a sub, or a Dom and multiple subs. If you are a Dom cast in the scene with another Dom, it will be gen only. (We’re assuming you’ve seen a porn or two, or at least a parody. Go crazy on the cheesy dialog and stupid set-ups. It’s just pretend, right?) |
 Some people just aren’t meant for film. If you don’t catch the eye of any of the studio reps, you are recruited to work on set building and painting, helping dress extras or potential stars, or providing that extra stimulation to keep them going between scenes. Individuals who complain too much about the circumstance may find themselves assigned to the more unfortunate jobs. Somebody needs to clean up those sets after they’re finished. (Just put your role in your top level if there’s something specific you have in mind you’d like to play out, like “set building” or “fluffer.” We won’t judge.) |
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: There's a table with items on it. Your character selects one. If they chose the jar of pickles or ballpoint pen they are a Submissive and if they chose a clothespin or mini baguette they are a Dominant. Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
Ask the Road
So when he gets sent to deliver some costumes from Ginger's shop, he's taking it as a chance to get around, check out the new arrivals and see what the movies are all about. Not even caring about the quotas and expectations. He's got a decent sex life here - annoying do gooders using him aside - so it's never been an issue either.
What might suddenly become a huge issue though is hearing a very familiar, very angry voice as he's handing the costumes to one of the SIN guards. His eyes go wide, giving the guard a nod as he shifts to try and keep himself out of sight as he leans around someone to get a clear view of...
Definitely Oswald Cobblepot. Well shit.
Then he goes down and Victor acts without thinking. Sure the last thing he remembers is setting things on a path where he's definitely not still answering to Penguin as he knelt to kiss Sofia's hand, but this is Duplicity and after six months, he's used to things being changed and different.
"You're not going to get him to behave like that," he snaps at the guard, moving to, ironically, kneel at Oswald's side. "Take a couple of breaths. I'll get you out of here," he says, frowning as he reaches to steady him.
Alexa, play I Need a Hero, the Shrek 2 version
He had been in the process of working through his ragged breaths, a furious glare sparking in his pale eyes and all the sharp angles of his face drawn all the more harshly by his rage as he draws in a long, deep breath like he's about to expel some manner of rage-filled bellow when someone intercepts. And not just anyone--Vicor Zsasz, like a guillotine falling to pass final judgement on the matter.
The rage vanishes, replaced by a more solid sort of disbelief as Oswald stares into his face, dumbstruck and tongue-tied. Ed mentioned he was here, that Victor was from 'the future' as far as Ed was concerned, and that he hadn't, more importantly, told Ed what Oswald did to Isabelle. Or whatever she was called.
"Victor," he manages to croak the name out, cracked at the edges, closer to a hoarse whisper than what his standard address might sound like. It's not like they're friends, not someone that Oswald would confide in on any emotional level, but with everything being the way it is, suddenly, he has finally has someone that he can trust on some level. As far as he knows.
He swallows thickly, accepting the touch to his shoulder that is oddly grounding at that moment as, in point of fact, he does take a few deep breaths.
"That, would be my preference," he confirms after a moment, starting to sound a little more like himself again as he begins to push himself to his feet once more. Gradually.
no subject
And one of the most exciting things that Victor has seen in Duplicity.
It sparks memories of destruction. It reminds him of times in Gotham when he had done some of his best work, and some of the dearest losses. It's also the possibility of some of the things he hasn't told Ed coming out, and as he had felt when he had asked Vrenille to help and had revealed Ed's drug use. If and when the truth comes out, he might well end up poisoned by one of those deserts he loves.
Victor rises, lifting his chin as if he doesn't bear that mark and the frilled edge collar. As if he isn't a submissive.
"My dominant will need to see him directly. None of those costumes will fit him, and everything about it will need to be redone. Miss Ginger will have me bring him back when it's fitted," he says, reaching to take Oswald's arm as if he's looking to guide him to said dominant. "You'll need to come with me," he says, as if he's expecting a submissive to argue with him, rather than doing his best to get Oswald out of there.
no subject
Trust and being relaxed don't necessarily go hand in hand for Oswald though, and trust Victor though he might, the hand on Oswald's arm is met with immediate stubborn resistance. Between his height and the unsteadiness of his bad leg, Oswald isn't hard to move around and he knows it, it doesn't stop him from trying to dig his heels in and sort of hop awkwardly to keep his balance as he's tugged along.
He gives Zsasz a thoroughly indignant look, chin stuck out slightly as his lips puckered in irritation before he pushes out a irritable huff of air.
"Well. We wouldn't want to keep Miss Ginger waiting, now would we?" He says it in a bit of a nasty tone, partly falling into the opportunity of the part that's been offered to him, and partly just being generally displeased with all the whiplash demands of the place.
Turning back to Victor, Oswald straightens himself out a bit and pushes his chest out.
"Shall we?"
Somehow, the pink lace and bell of the collar that Oswald sees fastened around Victor's... doesn't look all that out of place. That probably says more about Zsasz than anything, but Oswald just shakes his head with a small wave of one hand as mutters something that sounds a lot like I'm not going to ask.
no subject
Especially in this place where the only thing he truly feels is an us against them feeling that has little to do with those that governor this place and everything to do with a group that knows Gotham, but doesn't understand truly how it is to be like them.
Rolling his eyes at the resistance, but changing his attitude or demeanor. Not right now. He can handle this and guide him until it's safe. And right now, it's definitely not. Though his eyes narrow at the snark projected at Ginger. Victor has devoted himself to keeping her safe - impossible and he doesn't even know it - but she is important to him and, besides, he's using her to get Penguin safe.
Straightening and letting it all go. For now.
"This way then," he says, staying back enough to make sure that the guards are more to his back than to Oswald's. No matter what could be, he knows one thing. It's how Ed would want it, and that's what he's letting guide him right now as he leads Penguin to the door, to a way out and away from the guards.
no subject
Dragging himself along with as much dignity as he can muster, the fact of the matter is very clear: this a loss. And it's a loss that seems to indicate a great deal, how dissident behaviours are handled and forced into submissive. The rules are different here.
Feeling Zsasz at his back and the commotion behind him, Oswald's lets his shoulders sag and his head bow a little, a deep, shuddering sigh working through his whole body.
"Thank you, Victor."
Gratitude is something Oswald offers in a lot of forms, though rarely so directly and with earnest. If there is something Oswald has honour in, it sits in recognising what has been done for you by others. Were this Gotham, this may have gone unspoken: it's just Victor doing his job. But this isn't Gotham.
He lifts a hand briefly.
"Spare me the details about Edward Nygma and your status as roommates, I'm already well appraised of that."
no subject
And he is good at playing by the rules. The right rules. It's how he made a name for himself in the Narrows, in all of Gotham, and now working on it in Duplicity. In new ways.
Once they clear the building, glancing back to be sure no one is following them, and taking a breath and calming. It might not show on his face that his demeanor has changed, but it's there in his eyes, in the way he carries himself.
"Of course. Any time." Which in this place could end up being a lot. It's nice to hear though.
"Oh? You've already run into Eddie then? And we're not roommates? I mean, I don't call it that. Ginger got us a place big enough for all of us, and Eddie got us the best imaginable contract. I even run the Arena as a submissive. Have you checked out your place here? That they set up for you? Are you staying somewhere else?"
no subject
It's a little more tricky to pinpoint exactly what's changed in Victor compared to Ed, but Oswald can tell its there, like picking up a habitual snack and finding the recipe has been adjusted in some subtle way.
There's something comforting though just in hearing Victor's voice and the assurance of loyalty. It's something Oswald is absolutely desperate for right now. Maybe that desperation will bite him in the back of the neck someday sooner rather than later, but he also can't afford to be an island.
"Hm... Yes indeed. You know, in point of fact, he was right there, ready to greet me the moment I stepped out of that hellish processing facility on day one! What are the chances, hmm?"
Without really noticing it, Oswald slows his pace a little more, bringing himself a little nearer to Victor in doing so.
"I myself have been somewhat waylaid on my way to my complimentary housing. It's been... quite a busy initial few days already, I daresay."
He turns his head slightly, watching Victor out the corner of his eye.
"There is a lot we need to discuss, I feel. Such as the validity of some of Edward's more outlandish claims."
no subject
So he answers to Ed, to Ginger, to Legato. And it would seem to Oswald Cobblepot once more. He's not only a man he knows, but the man he knows. He recognizes Victor like others from Gotham don't and that means something to the killer.
"I would say..." He's quiet a moment, considering how to even respond to that without once more airing Ed's dirty laundry. "Perhaps he was looking for someone to arrive."
There. That's totally not saying that after giving up his drugs to hallucinate Oswald that Ed was waiting, and hoping... and apparently right to do so.
"Yeah, it's kind of nuts here, huh? Kind of a madhouse all the time." He cants his head slightly about Ed's claims, wondering which of the totally probably real weird things they've dealt with that he's talking about.
"Sure, Boss. I can take you to the housing in the Down, or there's showers and all at the Arena and I have an office there but there's probably things for you in room. Everyone has things waiting for them. "Or once we get your things, we could go back to Ginger's if you want to get cleaned up. Nice house, and she might even help with getting you more clothes here. She's a designer."
no subject
But not all people can be all things at all moments and even at his most unreasonable, Oswald knows that. What he can tell is that there's more that Victor could share and is opting not to. It's not unusual for Victor though and right now it is honestly the most consistent thing that Oswald has seen in the city so far. He isn't about to cling to Victor for that, but it means a lot more than Oswald is likely to ever put into words.
His jaw does tighten a little at Victor's take on why Ed was there to meet him though, not even able to disagree with it at all. The expression on his face probably conveys more than he wants it to--how complicated everything is, how he clearly has some mixed feelings about the whole thing, and how he doesn't think Victor is wrong and probably doesn't really like that fact.
There is, however, a tremendous amount of value in something that Victor says that may otherwise be run of the mile and standard practice. In this place, where Oswald has a black line down his throat and not a penny to his name, Victor calls him 'boss.' Oswald has been accused of being sentimental before and perhaps this is an odd place for it, but he can blame a series of very difficult and emotionally fraught days for the way that one word in particular carries so much value. But more than that, it's a spark and sometimes a spark is all that is needed to send a gas station up in a blaze.
He straightens his back, face forward.
"This Arena of yours, I think," he decides with perhaps surprising ease, "There's a great deal I have yet to see in the Down, some I have already witnessed for myself, but I would very much like to see what you've carved out for yourself here, Victor."
no subject
And if Ed starts medicating again, rat him out. That's his line right there, because he's not letting one of his bosses hurt themselves like that. Ed had done right by Victor in finding him a dominant and helping him to settle in here, he'll do what he can for him.
He sees Oswald pull himself together like that and his lips twitch into a near smile.
"This way then," he says, gesturing with a sweep of his hand, not heading out ahead of him. Maybe they're both marked here but he knows his world, his people, his place.
Again there's that twitch of his lips though. "You're gonna love it, Boss. It's a training center during the day and a legit sanctioned fight club at night."
no subject
"Handling a day and night operation like that must be keeping your hands fairly busy these days."
It's probably not softening Victor's hands exactly, but Oswald wonders if Victor's trigger finger is getting itchy, if his marksman's eyes are looking for targets. Or if he's busy enough with this project. Or it's basically a bit of a hobby and a shop front for the work Oswald knows Victor for. Many questions to get to when they're out of earshot of the film crews and their various recording devices.
After getting at least a short distance though, Oswald glances over his shoulder toward Victor, looking at him with a steady but difficult to read kind of stare.
"Ed mentioned that the two of you have each arrived here with different experiences of our beloved Gotham," he pauses, turning a little on the spot to face Victor once more, "Is it true?"
For some matters, there's no point in beating around the bush.
no subject
Like the Rubies and jobs for Legato.
He arches a brow as Cobblepot looks back at him, curious what he wants to know. Then he stops as Oswald faces him, head canting slightly even as he nods. "We come from different times in your time as Mayor," he says easily. "I still have figured it out since I remember things with Ed there that he doesn't remember happening. What do you last remember?"
no subject
But then he exhales and seems to relent to his own internal defensiveness. Ed already knows though and if he and Zsasz talk the information will get around so it may as well come from Oswald himself.
"We were preparing to open the club. The Iceberg Lounge," he juts out his chin, "And my mayoral days are behind me. We were five months from that time. We were recalibrating, Victor, our priorities put right once more. And we were getting ourselves back on track. Just as we should always have been."
He narrows his eyes slowly.
"And what about you, Victor? What is the last thing you recall of our time in Gotham?"
no subject
"Yeah, I remember that," he admits, thinking about how this could turn out. He knows things neither of them know but this place isn't Gotham, and he's suddenly finding himself with his loyalties about to be tested again. "I remember a lot about opening that place that Eddie doesn't know about," he says, admitting that, making that point that he hasn't told him anything about that club and what happened.
"The last thing I remember is going to Carmine Falcone's funeral," he admits. Only because in a mistake and not thinking he had told Ed about the funeral, and now Ginger wears the bullet he'd left in Carmine's coffin that he'd found in his possession again because of this place. "No one knows who put the hit on him but he was gunned down a bit after you opened the club. I don't talk about those parts of Gotham," he says, lips pursing, regarding Oswald with a cool gaze. "I figure it's up to you to talk to him about anything if you want to."
no subject
Looking like he was about to give some overwrought response, when Victor continues Oswald stops short and everything sort of feels like it freezes in place. His eyes go wide, the shock genuine in a way that it doesn't just drain the colour from his face but all of the ridiculous energy he sometimes has to slam him into an entirely more sober place.
"... Falcone's dead?"
It's spoke in a voice just louder than a whisper.
Then the confusion sets in, his eyes squeezing shut as he shakes his head in utter disbelief, one hand lifting to hold his own face as he tries to make sense of it all.
"But... I don't understand. H-h-how--? Why was Don Falcone--? He was in Miami, so... Why did he come back to Gotham?"
Oswald's mind races, if this happened not long after the club opened then it makes sense, to him, that Falcone's death must be related to a pre-existing grievance that has resurfaced. And if they don't know who did it, that suggests to Oswald that it wasn't something new and ugly that went down between himself and Carmine. Despite everything, Oswald's respect for Falcone remains strong and unwavering: if he had cause to kill Falcone then there would be no mystery about that fact. None. He knows that in the very core of his being.
He refocuses his attention on Victor. Sure, Oswald heard him say he doesn't talk about this stuff from Gotham now, but this is huge.
"Who would have had cause to kill Falcone now? He... he'd retired. Who would stand to gain from that?"