duplicitymemes | TDM #16

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TDM #16

« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »

« « « ALL ON DISPLAY

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 high rise. 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 rather cold and icy.

» » » WALKING TOUR

The cold, icy winter weather has seen to it that there is an unfortunate interruption with the usual city tour for the newest arrivals to Duplicity. Some of the train tracks have a dangerous amount of ice coating them and sections of travel are now unavailable via train.

City officials still believe that the tours are important to integrate new LIERs to Duplicity so they have organised personal walking tours held by current LIERs. New arrivals will be paired with their own tour guide; they can take the suggested path or take their barely dressed charge on a more ad-hoc tour. It might be considerate to let them change into something warmer first!

Important landmarks and checkpoints like Fiddler’s Square, North Park, The Up and Down Courts, the People Zoo and of course S.L.U.T. need to be marked off on the tours but there have also been fun local stores which have set-ups for free samples and information booklets. What order and how people travel to them is up to them.

« « « GALLERIA OF SEX

(CW: exhibitionism, voyeurism, dub/non-con)

One of the stops along these new walking tours is a temporary educational art installation that has been set up to display and talk about the rich variety of kinks that are popular in Duplicity. Newcomers are invited to come inside the building, sit on the human furniture to watch and learn or volunteer to participate themselves.

Each section has local LIERs and graduated citizens there to help walk those new to the program through the displays, explaining the appeal and draw of each kink.

Live demonstrations or performance art are carried out by LIERs who have volunteered, been conscripted or are fulfilling a sentence that would normally land them in the People Zoo. They can and will ask anyone and everyone to step up and be part of the artwork themselves.

Some of the displays set up will feature:

Naked Submissives have been bound and posed with their bodies arched in visually pleasing positions. They are surrounded with candles burning around them and guests are invited to drip the hot wax across their bodies to add to the artwork that is their naked skin.
Zap your lover or the volunteers with an electrical wand and discover the way it can make the skin tingle and muscles tense in just the right place at just the right moment.
The image of cum dripping from a well used Submissive is considering something to appreciate visually so stations have been set up with glory holes and kneeling participants to have their faces and buttocks painted over the course of the day.
A variety of whips, canes and paddles have been set out next to padded benches for Submissives to bend themselves over. The marks they leave are something to be proud of.
No art display in Duplicity is complete without an ode to bondage, one room will be entirely devoted to participants being suspended from the ceiling, held in positions that will test their stamina and flexibility and leave the most gorgeous bruises.

We encourage players not to limit themselves in regards to what is on display. There are many more kinks than the ones listed, and Duplicity considers all kinds of sexual acts a form of art.

Photo taking is encouraged throughout the exhibition, especially when your own participation is concerned. If you missed the chance to do so, in the moment, you need not worry as the gift shop at the end of the gallery will have many different prints taken over the course of the exhibition available for purchase. Take home a keepsake of your first day in Duplicity.

« « « ICE TO SEE YOU

(CW: exhibitionism)

Winter does make it harder in Duplicity to enjoy all the pleasures of the flesh that could be on offer in the warmer months. Most who live in the city still need to wrap up with many layers when the weather turns so chilly. But that’s not saying that the city can’t find ways to help keep its residents in the mood.

It will first be noticeable to those trying their hand at streaming or posting video footage onto the network. Regardless of a character's state of dress while recording, they will appear completely naked to those watching and no amount of covering up with more articles of material will change that.

Others might see it as they set about on their first days getting used to the city’s layout, glancing into a shop window they will notice their own state of undress in their reflection. You might even see it in a particularly shiny bit of ice but no matter where you look, all reflective surfaces will show everyone in their birthday suits, naked as the day they were born.

« « « BLADES OF GLORY

(CW: exhibitionism, dubcon, drugging)

In a bid to encourage individuals to get out and keep active despite the chilly weather, the city has transformed one of the large tennis courts in the Up into a makeshift outdoor skating rink. In the recreation building attached to the courts-turned-rink the change rooms have been outfitted for people to change into more appropriate clothing. There is also at the front of the building an area to rent skates.

Many who get on the ice see no reason to keep apart, as many contracted couples can be seen holding hands or chasing each other as they skate. In the change rooms it isn’t uncommon to see a bit of hanky panky or people getting off at helping others in and out of their skates. There also seems to be a small hot chocolate stand set up inside the building where characters can buy a warm drink to sip on while taking a break from skating. The drink may leave those that consume it feeling especially warm and frisky, with perhaps a bit of extra energy they need to burn off - skating might not cut it.

« « « MOD & OOC NOTES

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 would rather have a dog for a pet they are Dominant. If they would rather have a cat for a pet they are Submissive. If your character is from a canon that has neither, pick the choice you believe they would prefer more.

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!

Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have a good time!!

» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

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( all marcos catches is the a flare of green and he knows. he doesn't know how but he knows. something swirls tightly in his stomach and he freezes, unable to do anything but step closer to the rink and watch her.

she's cheating, he knows. she's cheating because he knows her and he knows that she's not that good at ice skating. but he doesn't say anything. if she's anything like him, she's going to realize someone's watching her.

and then, she'll realize it's him watching her and...marcos isn't sure what's going to happen after that. but, he can't just walk away.

not from her. not ever. )

[ the truth is, she hasn't felt this kind of freedom in a long while. if they hadn't been on the run with the underground, they were out fighting to defend themselves. and by the time she'd followed the frost sisters to team up with the inner circle, "fun" had long since jumped out of the question. it was hard to have fun when she had a daughter that needed protecting.

even now, there's still a weight carried on her shoulders, one that she tries to alleviate for even a minute by doing something that reminds her of her love for who she is, for the powers she holds in her hands. whether it's floating or skating, it takes her back, making sure she remembers who she is.

but the skates aren't the only thing that do that and the sharp blade scrapes down on the ice to a stop as her eyes catch those of the man staring her way. her breath picks up, heart pounding harder, the way it always does when they find each other again. ]

Marcos ... [ she mutters, more quietly to herself as she feels the clenching press within her chest; as far as she remembers, they're still on different sides here, even if this isn't the same playing field. ]

( it doesn't take her long to find him. he's not surprised. its never taken her long to find him even when she'd decided to take a different path. it's a decision he doesn't understand or agree with to this day but it's one she'd made and he can't change it.

he'd tried, he'd failed.

and now, here they are again. her on skates, gliding around a rink and him on the sidelines, watching her and trying to figure out what to say. he'd said so much to her already, tried so many things to get her to come back, to let him see his daughter and nothing had worked.

but they're here now. it seems that even when they tried to go their separate ways, life brought them back together.

when he knows she's noticed him, he straightens up, hands gripping the edge of the rink tightly. light shines out from underneath them but he takes a breath to ease that control back in so he doesn't start an unnecessary fire. )

[ she hates how just a simple look his way could so easily tear her apart from the inside, all her tough-girl attributes sinking into nothing as all her vulnerabilities lurch up to the surface, enough to make her skin quiver in her nerves. he's always had that kind of power over her, always reframed her built exterior to force herself to be so exposed, and nothing's changed, even after everything they've been through.

this place is still a mystery, and she doesn't have the answers on how she got here or how to get out, but apparently he's here too, and ignoring that probably wasn't going to help the situation for either of them.

sliding her skates across the ice, slower than before, she glides her way closer to the edge of the rink where he stands, her eyes never leaving him even as she swallows.

she skids to a stop when she's close enough, hands wrapping around herself to grip onto her arms. ] So, um ... they got you too, huh?

Yeah.

( he doesn't know what to say to her. there's a novel's worth of things he wants to say to her but this doesn't seem to be the right place, the right time. he doesn't know where they are or what this is.

so, he says nothing. he stares at her like he's seen a ghost and then looks away, rubbing a hand over his face. )

Don't know who they is but yeah. ( he takes a quiet breath and then looks back at her. ) You okay?

( she's ice skating so physically, he guesses she's okay. everything else is a different story. )

[ well, he seems to be in the same pinch as she is, meaning this is probably something bigger than both of them. so far, it doesn't seem to be related to the underground or the inner circle. actually, it doesn't seem related to mutants at all. ]

Yeah, I'm — [ she holds up her arms, partially turning to vaguely gesture behind her. ] Having a blast. Clearly.

[ of course the sarcasm is there, as usual, but there's a bit of awkwardness in it. unsure where to even lean on the conversation. ]

I'm just going along with this. For now. Until I figure things out. Um — what about you? Are you — are you okay?

Figure that's all you can do.

( as for her question, he's...not sure how to answer. he's alive, in one piece, but he doesn't think he's okay. he can't even remember the last time he did feel okay. )

I'm fine. ( but he says that anyway. he doesn't really know where they stand or what he wants to tell her after everything. )

Just confused. ( about this place, about everything. ) Tired.

You look it.

[ tired. they'd always been tired, doing what they do and barely having room for rest in between. but right now, he looks worse off than he's been in a long time, and she knows that it's all likely very much in part her own fault. they both know full well that she hasn't made it easy for him. ]

Is it ... is it just you? Is anyone else here?

[ john. clarice. the struckers. as far as she knows, she's come across a few mutants, but none from either the underground nor the inner circle. no one but him. ]

It's just me.

( and now her. he tries not to wince at the thought that she's here and that might have left their daughter in the hands of the inner circle. he can't stand that thought so he shakes his head and tries to push it out of his mind.

he's not going to be able to focus if he thinks like that. )

I haven't seen anyone else. ( he thinks it might be easier for john to be here because john's the steady as a rock leader that he leans on when he needs it. )

I haven't really looked but I think I'd know. ( he'd found her, hadn't he? )

[ she doesn't know if that makes it better or worse, the fact that she doesn't have to face anyone else except him. because in reality, he's the one person that's been the most terrifying to confront, not when there's still as much tension between them as there is.

and she feels it too, the strain that still floats between them, the very same that makes her want to crumble, even if she's well practiced at trying to remain as unaffected as possible. ]

It's ... just me, too.

[ no andy. no frost sisters. no reeva. even dawn is out of her hands, but — at least she knows their daughter's safe, glad more than ever than she had taken her to her aunt before it was too late.

crossing her arms, she swallowing, straightening her spine as she tries to realign herself. she can't be so fragile here. ]

Look, this is — this is a weird situation, but clearly we're both stuck here somehow, so maybe we should put all personal feelings aside and just ... work together on this. Someone brought us here and we both have things to get back to, so we should figure it out as soon as we can.

Put all personal feelings aside? Really?

( he laughs, humorless and short, before he shakes his head. )

Hey, if it's possible for you to do that, fine. Do it. Put all your personal feelings aside.

( he doesn't think it's going to be as easy for him and the thought that she can stings. but whatever, it's her call. it's always her call, isn't it? )

Whatever you want.

[ she knew she was never going to be easy, and somehow she should have expected that reacted, pressing her lips together before sighing through her nose, turning her head down with eyes closed as she tries to push herself through this.

raising her head again, she shakes it, biting at the inside of her lip. ]

What do you want to do, Marcos? You want to talk about the Underground? You want to talk about the Inner Circle? Because none of it is here. And neither is Dawn.

[ she hadn't wanted to bring up their daughter, but if he's going to play up that pouty attitude at her, he leaves her no choice. ]

Arguing about any of it here isn't going to make a difference while we're stuck in this place. We're helping no one by being here right now.

( he's halfway ready to apologize to her for the outburst until she mentions dawn. he feels her statement hit him like a bullet and dig in, sliding underneath his ribs to sit against his heart.

he curls his hands into fists, light seeping from from his palms but that's where the light stays. )

I wouldn't know where Dawn is, would I? It's not like you gave me a choice.

( he spits that back at her before he shakes his head. )

You can help yourself. We're not a we.

( the words are angry, he knows, coming from a place of deep hurt but he knows there's genuine too. )

[ this is exactly what she'd been hoping to avoid, even if she knows this was inevitable, that all the build up of everything she's done will be thrown back at her like this, no matter her intentions. but she'd known marcos would never fully understand the weight of her choices, not when his heart is as good as it is, when he can believe in people so much better than she can. ]

Marcos, she's safe. Isn't that what we both want? She's not here, and she's not with the Inner Circle. She is in the safest place she could be right now.

[ not that anywhere is truly safe, not with everything the way it is. but at least she'll be loved. ]

But if we don't figure this thing out, neither of us is going to see her again.

( that's something, at least. and while his faith in lorna's been shaken by everything that happened, he does trust that she'd do everything in her power to keep their daughter safe.

even if it still burns that he'd gotten to see her twice before she was spirited away.

his anger dims a bit and he shakes his head, looking away from her. he doesn't even know where to start in figuring this place out and now she's here and he knows things are going to be infinitely harder. )

We, huh? You think I'm going to help you?

[ she knows this isn't going to be easy, and she knows that whatever desperation marcos had in getting her back has shifted more and more towards anger the longer she's resisted. but she isn't looking for him to forgive her, not when she hardly deserves it. because she doesn't regret an ounce of what she's done, and she knows she'd do it again, even if it hurts — because she'll do whatever it takes to make sure her daughter doesn't face the same kind of world she's always known.

but even without different expectations, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when he looks at her the way he does, when his pain clearly still exists, laced in with anger.

still, she tries to keep a firm head, taking a breath. ]

I think you are. Not because I deserve it, but because you're you.

( marcos really hates that she's right. he'll help because he wants to help. he would help her or anyone else that needed his help. he wishes he could tell her that she's wrong but she's not.

and his silence probably tells her that. but, he looks away, a frown etched on his face. he'll help even if he has nowhere to start. )

This place isn't like anything else you've been before, Lorna. ( he keeps looking away, trying to figure out how to tell her what this place is like, what it can make you do. ) What we did before isn't going to work here.

I know what it is.

[ or at least what they've told her about it. she'd had to go through the orientation and a sequence of tutorials on how to have sex the way the apparent overlords of this place want it to be. overall, it's pretty damn sickening, but in her experience, she's used to places being dreadful examples of paradise.

but lorna's also too headstrong to sit back and accept it too easily. ]

But whatever it's supposed to be, I've been through a lot worse. And there's always a way out.

You don't know what it is, Lorna. You know what you've heard but I've been here for a little while now. I know what it is.

( it's...somewhat embarrassing to be standing here in front of the woman who gave birth to his child after everything that's done so far. he's not going to apologize for it but it still feels strange. )

And yeah, maybe you've been through a lot worse but you haven't been through anything like this. If you want my help, you're going to have to actually let me help and not say you're going to just to go off and do your own thing.

[ she really shouldn't be shocked that he'd have to be playing along too. after all, she knows that when it all comes down to it, she'll inevitably probably have to be doing the same. still, her lips tighten together, swallowing as she considers all that marcos has probably had to do here based on the things she's heard about this place.

it all sounds like a ridiculous joke on paper, but when he puts on a serious tone, it becomes that much harder to wave it off. ]

I'm not gonna — [ she bites her lip, knowing he's right. her stubbornness would absolutely make her keen on handling things herself. ] I'll listen, Marcos. I mean it.

( his only response is to look at her, really look at her, to see if she's just saying that to brush him off or if she really means it. but, he doesn't sense that she's just telling him what she thinks he wants to hear.

not this time. so, he looks away, shoulders slouching. for awhile, he just stands there, unsure of what to say to her. )

You're a submissive, like me. Which just means in the eyes of this city, we're nothing.

( it wasn't quite the same as being mutants in a place where no one wanted them but it was close. )

Nothing we can do to change that. Not that I know of, at least.

[ chances are, by the time they get out of here, they'll be at odds with one another again. but it's not as if it's what she wants, as if she purposely clashes with marcos out of some whim to fight. at the end of the day, she wishes it could be easier, that they can work together as easily as they used to, but she knows, when it comes to what they're seeking in their world, they might never see eye to eye.

but, at least for now, she can set that aside, at least while she doesn't fully understand the situation at hand, when they might actually need to set aside egos to figure things out together.

she scoffs at his explanation, her chuckle without humor as she shakes her head. ]

So you're saying that we're treated here like we're mutants. Doesn't sound like much of a change.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying. No one's tried to experiment on me yet.

( so, that was one plus for this place, he supposes. he'd been drugged a few times, drugged with things that wound him so up badly that he didn't even recognize himself in the aftermath.

but, they hadn't tried to hurt him. so, he's calling that a win for the moment. things could change, he knows, in the blink of an eye but for now, he's okay. )

Living conditions aren't great. You're not going to get to choose you live with. And you know what this place is about. So, you're...going to have to do that.

( he hates even saying it. )

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TDM #16

BLADES OF GLORY

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