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duplicitymemes2021-03-09 06:59 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2021-03-09 06:59 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #17
« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »
« « « ALL ON DISPLAY
» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «
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 clear plastic top and pants along with clear plastic boots 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 wet and rainy. Very, very rainy. |
» » » ALL ABOARD
 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. |
« « « RAIN RAIN GO AWAY
 (cw: aphro, dub-con, violence, marking)Ice and chilly weather have begun to give way to rain instead, with overcast skies and dark clouds a seemingly constant sight. While the overabundance of rain is an annoyance and comes with the usual series of problems, such as leaky ceilings, mold growth, and gutters or storm drains overflowing, this time the rain carries with it another problem altogether. A weather advisory warning is broadcast to every device, as well as on news networks and radio. The rain, at least for a few days, is not ordinary rain. Whether you're in the Up or the Down, when the water hits clothing it eats away at it. The more water it absorbs, the more the material disintegrates until the wearer is left naked. When the rain comes in contact with skin (or is ingested) the effects seem to differ depending on where you are in Duplicity. In the Up, it's relatively harmless and merely has an aphrodisiac effect, leaving individuals feeling hot and bothered, more sociable and touchy feely. Those in the Down, however, are not so lucky. As the rain seeps through the soil from the Up, it ends up laced with toxins, causing a range of less pleasant side effects for anyone unfortunate enough to come into contact with it. Aside from the aphrodisiac, those who get caught in the rain may develop an uncomfortable, itchy rash, leaving them looking rather spotty for a few days. Those who can't resist scratching at themselves will find a newfound pleasure to the relief it brings and start to crave the feeling or sight of similar marks. In worst case scenarios, individuals will become addicted to marking themselves and others, perhaps even to the point of breaking skin. Effects may last for several hours after exposure and will stack with repeated exposures. In all cases, getting off will bring temporary relief but will not alleviate the symptoms entirely. Plastic coverings seem to be unaffected by the rain and, as word spreads, the Natives in Duplicity form a mad rush buying up umbrellas. Unless a character is lucky, they may find themselves unable to purchase - or even borrow - one. Theft of umbrellas becomes widespread in the Down, often escalating to violence, and even the Up isn't safe from thugs trying to steal and resell this suddenly hot commodity. There's another side to all of this, however. Due to the shortage of umbrellas, it isn't uncommon to see Dom/Sub pairs sharing umbrellas together. If anything, it's encouraged as a means to strengthen their bond. Enterprising Subs and Doms alike may even sell their "services" to escort individuals who would otherwise end up soaked. |
« « « SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME
 (cw: substance abuse, altered states, coercion, fluids, physical body changes)A new "holistic" pharma company named SQuIRT is opening up in Duplicity and is paying a pretty penny for people to trial run their new line of supplements. These supplements are supposed to increase a person's vitality and energy levels, but the side effects are what the company is really looking out for. Some of the side effects aren't so bad and could include:
While others might find their own reaction to be a little more severe:
Subjects must take the supplements for at least a week, otherwise they'll receive no compensation for their troubles. All new arrivals will find themselves automatically enrolled in these trials, whether they want to be or not, and expected to report to the clinic. Of course they don't have to take the supplements, but the payout is certainly enticing, especially for those unfortunate enough to be branded Submissives. |
« « « STICKY FINGERS
 (cw: violence)Crime runs rampant in the Down as always but now, with the nastier side effects of the rain creating an ongoing problem, some unsavory types are sneaking their way into the Up where the effects aren't so hazardous. The result is an uptick in crime in places that are usually considered safe. Be careful how you carry yourself - and your valuables. Those who look like easy pickings may find their pockets empty. Cameras in public areas are being vandalized as well, while homes and businesses are seeing a rise in graffiti. Most of the graffiti is merely obscene, but some is outright seditious. Good luck explaining the latter to the authorities if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the smaller gangs that has a presence in the Down is taking particular advantage of the rain's disruption to expand their territory into the Up. Known as the Bulldogs, their members are young men and they have a reputation for violent muggings and assaults - mainly targeting Submissives. They loiter in groups near the train and the elevator between the Up and the Down to ambush the alone and unwary. At night, they also prey on those walking home from bars or clubs who may not fully have their wits about them. In addition to beating up their victims for money, some of the Bulldogs are engaging in an informal competition over who can steal the most umbrellas - with bonus points awarded for whatever else they feel like. LIERs are worth double points by default, so watch out! |
« « « 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: Players can choose whether to assign their character as a Dominant or Submissive on this TDM for the Door Pass for March Applications only. For May's Application round, threads started here may be used as samples however they will not be eligible for a Door Pass in May. Characters will need to use a thread from May's TDM, using those Door Pass rules, for an application after the March round. 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! THERE WILL BE NO APPLICATION ROUND IN APRIL Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have a good time!! |
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She glances away and down for a brief moment before she looks up at him again, decision considered and made in a heartbeat.
"You owe me," she agrees, gently, without any kind of annoyance in her emphasis. "Things are different back home, but I think that, yeah, you need to buy me drinks."
For a couple of reasons, really. Mainly because she needs them, and as her friend with a hookup he should be providing. But also because she realizes, despite her stupid heart, she cannot dive back into Michael Guerin the way she might want to.
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He's really damned taken with the way she's smiling at him.
"I'll make them, and everything," he tells her, with a smile of his own.
The elevator stops, and he glances out of it. This is a damned sight better than the motel in the Down. Michael gestures for Maria to go first.
"Guess I finally get to see how the other half live. You have a roommate?"
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"Uh, no..." She says it uncertainly; she thinks she knows how things are laid out here, but she could be wrong.
"I think that--" She points to the other door. "--is for my neighbor, but I've got this all to myself." She fits the key into the locket and opens it for them. "Really gotta lay it on thick, don't they? The differences."
Which Michael will probably notice the moment they step inside and Maria flicks on the lights. It's not at all her style, but it is classy and sleek and clean. It's the kind of hotel room/slick apartment that not even Roswell the city would put up. There's not a single cowboy or Native American motif anywhere.
"I hate it," Maria says without inflection as she tosses her keys on the coffee table. "I mean, I'm not complaining. I just-- I'm gonna need to get out of here."
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"I get it," he says, shrugging. "Kyle has a mansion on the beach. So did Max. It's a long way from an Airstream."
He gives her a little half smile. Michael had never wanted to live the high life. He'd never aimed for it, had never tried. Places like this aren't where he's comfortable. They're not where Maria's comfortable either. He knows that as well as anyone.
"There's other places. Apartments, houses. I had a friend who bought a warehouse, turned it into a garage with a studio on top. I'm glad you're here, though. I wouldn't want you in the motel."
It's not a good place for anyone. Maria deserves better than that.
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"I want the Pony," Maria admits as she half-follows him. "But I guess I'm going to need a job to start. Or five. Do you think any of the native Dominants around here would like that white lady spiritual magic?"
She smiles and resists the urge to reach out and touch him.
"Is the Down really that bad?"
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"It's okay. I've had worse," he says, thinking of his truck. He used to be embarrassed about that, but it's pretty well known now. It had been pretty well known back then, too. It's been a long time since Michael really cared about what anyone thought.
Except that he does care what Maria Deluca thinks. So much is different now that she knows what she knows.
"I think basically anyone would love you, Deluca. You could set up your own thing. But if it's a bar you want, I could talk to Hope. She runs Subversion. It was Damon's, but it went to her when he vanished."
He goes over to the window, and looks out at the view. It's impressive, showing the Up in all its splendor. The Down is hidden from sight, as everyone no doubt thinks it should be. Michael taps on it, before turning back around to look at her.
"We should talk. About secrets, I mean. I don't know how much you know, and I get I missed the boat on telling you. But, if there's anything you want to know, I'll tell you now."
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She quirks her lips into a smile. She doesn't really want to start from scratch, but she understands that that's just the name of the game, even here for Dominants. She needs to keep herself busy, anyway, and useful. That will help with keeping her mind off all the other bullshit.
"I'd appreciate that, actually. We could work together, instead of me resisting the urge to knock you off a bar stool."
Her little smirk fades to something more sincere as she follows him to the window. She takes his hand in both of hers.
"I think I'm pretty well caught up on everything, but there's things you should know. Several things, but one big thing."
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"Okay," he says, holding her eyes. "Tell me. It's okay, there's some things I know already. That's what happens when everyone you know is from your future."
Max, in particular, had been full of secrets. Some of them he'd told; others he hadn't. Michael had been belligerent about it, annoyed that his brother would keep anything important from him after the lives they'd led, and that was where they'd left things. He has regrets about that, but there's no doubt that he still wants to know.
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She exhales, her gaze drifting momentarily as she tries to figure out where to start. She starts to take steps backwards, leading them to the expansive couch that sits near the middle of the room.
"You're from Caulfield so you know about your mother. But did you know that Isabelle's mother also survived the crash?"
Not, notably, Max and Isabelle's mom. Just Isabelle's.
"They got taken in by a farm foreman, Bronson. And they lived with him for a little while, before the military got to them."
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He curls one leg beneath him and sits close to her, watching her. He keeps hold of her hand, and his thumb moves instinctively across her fingers.
"Max had...a thing, a while back, where he went home. Kind of."
That's a longer story. Max hadn't actually left, he'd just fallen asleep and gone home in his head. That ties into Michael's theories about what the fuck they are, and how real this place is, and he's not getting into that yet. Better to just take it as it had come, for now.
"He told me about this, told me he and Isobel aren't really twins. That her mom and my mom stayed with a farmer, and Isobel's mom fell for him. He said there was a kid. Is that where this is going? He wouldn't tell me much about the hybrid, just that they exist."
He'd pushed for more, without much luck. He wants to know now as much as he had then.
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She nods at the leading question and this is where the telling gets a little tougher. She doesn't know why she feels a little awkward explaining this to Michael, of all people. He was nothing but caring, loving, toward her after finding out. Nothing really changed except the upping of his concern over her well being. But it's still strange to admit to, hasn't gotten more normal or easy to comprehend.
"They had a daughter. Her name was Patricia." She clears her throat a little bit as it threatens to tighten. "And she had a daughter. Her name is Mimi."
This is where she looks at him, expectant, but brings it fully to the fore instead of letting him do it.
"And Mimi had a daughter... me."
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DeLuca. Maria DeLuca, is an alien. Part alien, anyway. That's crazy. He's known her for most of his life, at least the part of it that he can remember. There's so much in this, but the main thing is that he's looking at Maria like he's seeing her for the first time.
"You," he says, and then shakes his head, disbelieving. His smiling, though. "You're...everything I've been looking for all this time. And you were right in front of me all along."
Does she know what that means to him? Maybe she does. She's done this all once already, after all, it's only news to him. But it must have been huge, for her. To go from knowing nothing of aliens to knowing you are one in just a few months...
He reaches to take her hand again.
"How did you deal with this? Did we help you, were we there for you? Because we aren't the best at that. Must've been a lot to hear."
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"Don't do that, Guerin," she says. Her voice is mild, restrained, but firm. "Don't turn me into something I'm not. I'm the same Maria that you've always known. I didn't magically become something else just because we discovered this."
She licks her lips. "I made you happy before this was a thing. Don't make me think I could have made you happier by being other than myself."
She licks her lips again, ducking her head a little, wishing she had tequila. It's not that the conversation is hard exactly, but it's a lot to go through again and she's still not sure what she makes of it all.
"You were. You-- That necklace? Of my mom's that she gave to me." The one she never took off before she knew. "It's this flower that is really rare, but the pollen dampens and protects again you guys' powers. Like, Isobel couldn't enter my mind while I wore it. It would have kept my mom... in place, you know what I mean? But I gave it to Rosa because she was having issues.." She waves her hand. Another long story.
"And you made me this bracelet instead, with the same pollen. You wanted me safe, not... wandering, eventually, like my mom. I wore it for the most part and didn't think about it. But now I'm thinking..."
It's hard to know what to do. It's hard to know what she wants to do, because it's all so strange. She's allowed to take back what she said before, she thinks.
"I'm thinking I need to accept this. What I am. So it's like I'm starting fresh."
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The story about her abilities takes precedence, then, and he thinks about her mom. Is that what's in Maria's future, if she uses her powers?
"So you...don't want to dampen your powers, even if using them hurts you?"
It worries him now. It must have worried him then, especially if they were closer, if they were together. His brow knits and he looks away. When Michael was young, he'd thought his powers were amazing. He'd wanted to play with them. He'd wanted Max and Isobel to discover theirs, feeling like it was some exciting secret between them.
Except that he got older, and better understood why they had to hide. He was exorcised because of his abilities. They've been his secret for a very, very long time, and it's only here in Duplicity that he's started to be more open with them at all. He thinks about how he's trained them with Dick, how he's gotten better at fine control. He understands Maria wanting to accept what she is.
But he's worried about what that means. If the cost would be worth what she gets for it.
"It's your choice," he says. "I hope I always knew that. I don't want you to get sick, I don't want you to get hurt. But having special powers that no one else has? I get that, DeLuca, you know I do. What is it you can do?"
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But she understands his concern.
"I know it's a risk," she says. "I look at my mom. And how she is. And I worry. But at the same time... I know she has me. And I've got people, too." She reaches out to take his hand, tentatively, because this is new to her. Not Michael, though their relationship is going to be different now. That's not new. But reaching out and asking? That's something she's still getting used to.
"I have visions? Of the future. And I just... I know things. I guess it kind of makes sense, if I'm related to Isobel. I can't enter a mind the way she does, but all those gut instincts I have, all that palm reading and card tricks. You know, when I actually meant them. I think they were a lesser degree of it. And if I can learn how to control it, make it stronger?"
It'd be a help in so many ways.
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He squeezes her hand.
"That's pretty cool," he says, and smiles. "You know if I can help you, I can. I just don't want you to get hurt."
The worry about it is, they might not even realize what damage it was doing. Not until years later, when it was already too late. She's a hybrid. Humans aren't supposed to have these powers, not really. Maybe it's too much, maybe it always would be.
But it is her choice. He'll support that.
"And the other part? About...making me happy. I always thought you would, DeLuca. I've been into you for a while, because you're smart, and you could kick my ass, and it's sexy as hell. And cause you're a good person. It's not cause you got alien in you, it's cause you're you. So do me a favor and don't ever doubt that."
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"I'm not looking to get hurt either, you know. I don't want that either. I just also don't think it's right to close off a part of me purely out of fear. If things get bad, I can always stop. Liz has this antidote thing? It helps make your powers stronger. She was feeding me some of it after... some stuff happened." They can get to that. In a bit.
"I can always take that and see how I feel. I'm not looking for trouble, just for myself."
But she's talking to avoid the rest of what he's said. About making him happy. She chews the inside of her bottom lip to keep herself steady as she continues. It's probably not fair to say, but she also doesn't feel right taking comfort from him, so much, when he doesn't know the full lay of the land between them.
"I don't know if this is fair to tell you or what but... we broke up." She takes in a slightly shaky breath and exhales. "I broke up with you. Like..." This time the exhale is a tight, barely there laugh.
"Like two hours before I got here."
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It makes him wonder what the hell he's doing with Dick Grayson, now. That's only going to end in tears, too. Probably Michael's. He should stop putting himself in these positions, he should stop thinking that there's ever any hope of being happy. Isn't he the one who always says it? Hope's the most dangerous thing there is.
He smiles, tightly, and lets go of her hand. Stupid, he thinks. He's been here imposing all of this on her, and she'd wanted out.
"Right. God, I'm sorry." He shakes his head, then looks at her, eyes harder than before. "What'd I do?"
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She knows she can't fix all of what's broken in Michael Guerin but the least she can do is not put him through this, right?
Except here she is doing it. Again.
"You made me so happy," she says. "But I thought he could make you happier."
Things are different here. She wants things to be different here. If Alex is with someone else, then maybe she's wrong. Maybe they circle each other like planets in orbit because they're stuck in their own circle of Roswell and can't break free.
But maybe, too, she's right, and they're still each biding their time until the other is ready.
"I'm sorry."
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"Alex. You broke up with me so I'd get with Alex?"
He leans back, running his hand through his curls. Then he smiles, and shakes his head.
"He's been with Bass for longer than I've been here. They're solid. He loves me, I know that. He told me. I love him too, I probably always will. But we don't..."
He takes a breath.
"It never works. We push each other away. And here, he is happy, with another guy that he doesn't push away. They're long-term. He hasn't been waiting for me, Maria."
And Michael had long ago decided to stop waiting for him.
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But instead he just smiles. And Maria's confused.
"How can you love him and not want to be with him?" she asks. "How can he and be with someone else?" He can't possibly mean like brotherly or friendly love, not with the way they were.
"And even so, you're his ex. And I was his friend first. I shouldn't have done anything to even start with." But he had been there. Michael had shown up for her, even if he had been kissing Lindsays in between.
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Ten years is a long time.
He turns to her, and maybe this question isn't exactly fair. But if it's not, then it's the latest in a line of unfairness between them, so he's just going to go with it.
"Did you love me?" He lifts his eyebrows, meeting her eyes squarely. "You said I made you happy. I didn't do anything wrong. So: did you?"
Do you?
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She could tell him to step off, to leave, could do anything but answer the question. But there would be no point. It's obvious in the way she looks at him then, no pretense and no attempt to hide. Her eyes are glassy from a few unshed tears but they're fixed on his.
"Yes."
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"But you broke up with me," he says, and then lifts his shoulders. "Because you thought someone else would make me happy. Someone else makes Alex happy."
And Michael never had. Not really, not in the uncomplicated way that Bass does. This, to Michael, is what love means. It's not about holding on to someone no matter what, whether they want to be held or not. It's about wanting that happiness for them. Even when it hurts you.
He looks down.
"I wanted to move on. I knew all the history between me and Alex, and I knew we weren't good for each other. I wanted to be good for someone. For you."
His hand covers hers again, squeezing it.
"I'm so sorry, for how much it hurts. I don't want you to be sad."
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"Not your fault," she says. And that's true. It was all Maria's decision; Michael just respected it, like he did all her decisions.
"But even if that is the case. That you and Alex aren't... going to be a thing like that anymore. And that Alex is as okay as you are with this. Even if that's all worked itself out, what I feel--"
She tries to think of the best way to word this that's not going to hurt. She's not trying to hurt him, just talk about the truth. What she needs, if he wants to pursue her. And, perhaps conceitedly, she thinks he will. He always has.
"You're not who I have memories of. You're not who I spent those months with. You're the same Michael at your core, I know that, but it's like I've left someone behind and started over."
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