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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!! |
rainy days;
I know damn well what I'm getting into. Look, I brought something for it.
( it's a piece of cardboard in his hand, which he raises to wave about. look! he had rain protection! temporary protection but protection. )
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so gene tugs him back another step or two with the set expression of someone expectin' a headache outta this whole exchange. ）
An' it'll melt before you get ten yards out. Unless you're expectin' you can sprint between shopfronts without any ill effect.
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You wanna bet?
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（ he holds out his lit cigarette, halfly smoked an' filterless. he's lucky he had a few packs on him in his musette bag, even though he's damn near through a third of them already from the stress alone. this is already worse than the convalescent period he had back in january, missin' the action at the latter half of st vith. ）
Looks like the only thing makin' a difference is umbrellas, or some manner of plastic. Never thought I'd miss those damn ponchos.
（ stiff, waterproofed nylon. smelled like all the worst chemicals you could imagine, but hell, they kept off the rain. ）
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Ah, well. ( a drag in. an easy smile. ) Guess we're stuck here. 'cause I've got none of that and by the look of it, neither do you.
( he'd say something about gene running out at this rate, but he's guessing gene's already well aware of how low his stash is. )
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Smartass. You ain't got enough faith in me.
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I take back every ounce of doubt I've ever expressed, ( while he. unballs the mess of plastic, straightens it out. ) you're clearly still leagues beyond me.
( the hand not holding the flattened plastic against himself reaches up, takes the cigarette out from between his lips to offer it back over to gene. )
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（ but he's smilin' as he says it, companionably as he takes that cigarette an' inhales a deep drag off it. lord, but it hits right in this damn stressful hole of a place. ）
Can't say it'll last forever, but it's better than cardboard, Jesus...
（ it's good-natured army-boy shittalk, an' it's done with affection. gene ain't sure where they'll land what with jazz bein' a few years outta the war, but he ain't gonna let it trouble him too much. ）
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( he's not actually mad. or upset. or even mildly bothered, but if gene's gonna sass him, jasper'll whine right back at him. both hands on the plastic and he raises it up above his head, holds it out far enough to cover gene, too.
may as well use his superior height to their advantage, right? )
Where were you off to?
( so he knows where he's going. )
no subject
（ an' so, off he steps. jasper, clearly, is gonna have to keep up with him. ）
Christ, if this is what happens when you get off'a Army rations I'm a little worried about the rest of us.
（ he grew like a damn foot. rude. ）
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Outgrew my own brother by half a foot. You can probably imagine all the shit I've been getting from him.
cw: pow camp mention
（ that's an if, right now. gene ain't — he ain't thinkin' too hard about it. he's out, he's home. san francisco, last he heard. healin' up some. but he don't know if he'll ever have his brother back, an' how much more than just his arm was left in one'a them damn camps.
he shakes his head. ）
Bet they were glad to have you home, though. Christ, I saw you yesterday, Jazz. This won't ever get nothin' but weird.
（ a beat. then: ）
It was James, yeah? An' Rita an' Eleanor, the girls. How're they doin'?
（ of course he remembers. gene's like that. ）
no subject
They're good. Saw most of 'em last a couple years ago. James has a few boys, Rita and her husband had a little girl and were expecting their second any day, last I heard. Eleanor moved East. I was staying with her in New York. She's still got more spunk than all the rest of us combined.
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（ he misses it, truth be told. much as the city was a loud, bustlin' mess that never seemed to sleep, much as the tenements were black with coal-dust an' the smell comin' off the east river was murder at the best of times, it became home as much as agathine. how much of that was reggie, exactly? ）
Got yourself a gal yet?
（ he's always... light with jasper on the topic of datin'. ever since he came across him an alex mackin' on one-another in that old burnt-out barn in belgium, he's had the power to get gene in a world of hurt with the higher ups. gene never thought he'd use that power, really, but you gotta be conscious it exists just the same. so, he treads carefully, even though this place don't seem to have any of the issues of home on the matter. ）
no subject
( purposefully vague, although he also realizes he doesn't necessarily have to be vague. they get to another building with decent awning, so jasper gives his arms a break while they pass under it. he'll get the plastic back up in time before either of them get drenched. )
A pretty blond named Elisa. Best damn pastry chef I'd ever met. We were going steady for several months, 'til I moved. Before her, Cal. From Montana. Exactly how you'd picture a guy from Montana. Served with the Navy before we'd met. Worked a job down in South America together.
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'Course it was the Navy.
（ he has to make the joke, it's just an army thing. ）
The Hell were you doin' in South America?
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Working, what else? Got a job in freight.
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（ he'd come in with the replacements just before normandy. gene had already done husky by then, up through azzano, an' he remembers thinkin' then that the kid was just too young, he'd be dead before they took the damn beach. but jasper surprised him that first night when they dropped under the cover of darkness, an' kept surprisin' him from market garden onward.
hell, he's doin' it now, ain't he? ）
Musta been nice to travel, though.
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( well. maybe not quite so literally, but he's admitting to nothing of the sort. his legs might not be meant for the sea but jasper's got a hardy enough constitution to bear through it.
arms back up and he's holding the plastic over them again as they move from the cover they'd managed to find back out into the unyielding rain. )
You've gotten 'round plenty too, haven't you?
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（ an' travellin' for war ain't the same as travellin' just because you can. part of bein' somewhere new is learnin' a language, learnin' a custom, engagin' with the folk there an' puttin' your hands into the earth. didn't have time for that mostly overseas. too much of the war. ）
no subject
( his older brother's never left the area they were raised in, after taking over the farm from their old man as soon as he was old enough to man it. jasper's met plenty more that've never gone far. the comfort of home and all, although he's never gotten that mindset much himself. )
Now you've got this place under your belt, too.
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Let's maybe not talk about anything below-belts in this damn fool town, yeah?
（ jasper, no. ）
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( but he's laughing, adjusting his weight to shoulder gene towards a close by little cafe. well. shoulder, but gently, because he knows better than to push gene anywhere. guy does what he wants. )
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（ an' he better damn well not forget it, neither. ）
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( he's definitely sassing now. )
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