TDM #17

[duplicitymods]

« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »

« « « ALL ON DISPLAY

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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

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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

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(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

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(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: Prolonged erections Lactation in both men and women Size enlargement of breasts or genitals Copious amounts of ejaculate or sexual fluids Sudden interest in previously unexplored kinks While others might find their own reaction to be a little more severe: Shrinkage of breasts, genitals, or entire being Inability to cum Uncontrollable hair growth or hair loss Temporary loss of one or more senses Spontaneous weeping 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

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(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

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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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» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Comments

Network, un: crashdown

[ortecho]

Maria??? Oh my god, I was starting to think I’d never see you again! I mean, I’m sorry you’re here, but…

Did you just get here? Are you settled in? Are you okay? Wow. Okay. I’ll stop with the 3rd degree. It’s a good thing you wound up as a dominant! I wasn’t so lucky, but I’m making it okay.

As for jobs, I can get you an interview at Mendacity where I work. I’m a *bartender* there. Can you believe it? Anyway, the owner is a cool guy. He died for one of his former employees, not a figure of speech. Apparently it doesn’t last very long around here. People can come back from anything.

I’m sure there will be plenty of people lining up to have their palms read, too.

[her_own_savior]

LIZ!!!!! Oh sweetie I was about to go hunting you down!

Michael gave me the lowdown. I heard you're with Alex's Dominant, Bass? Also on my To Talk To List. Is he treating you alright? If he's reading over your shoulder, tell me what kind of salsa you like.

You're a bartender? Wait, he DIED for someone? You can't just tell me that without giving me his name and number and full explanation.

Come to mine! Or I can come to yours. I need to see you!!!

[ortecho]

Oh, he’s a good guy! Treats both of us very well. Bass gives me privacy, but I’ll be sure to ask him next time I see him.

Yes and yes. Dinah, the old security girl, was in trouble so Seth intervened, tried to save her. The guy was a total creep. Somehow wound up killing both of them. Dinah never came back to work. In fact, she wound up working for the boss of the guy who murdered her which sounds incredibly shady, but I’m not judging. There’s something going on there that I obviously don’t know about.

Where are you at right now? I’ll come to you.

[her_own_savior]

Good. I'm glad.

[ Gotta keep building up the reasons to like Bass, to fight against that great feeling of... disappointment? That it's not Michael that Alex is with. ]

wow that does sound kinda like a novela. I'm sure she had good reason.

Wait killed both of them r u kidding is there more resurrection going on here????

I'm in the Up housing. [ Insert number here. ]

[ortecho]

Oh, totally. Resurrection is like a daily thing here. Weird.

I’ll be right there.

[ Liz isn’t lying. She’s out the door as she’s typing the last line and she walks as fast as her legs will carry her. By the time she reaches Maria’s door, she’s a little out of breath but no less excited to see her bestie. She knocks on the door excitedly. ]

[her_own_savior]

super weird.

[ When she hears the sound of the knock, Maria is already next to the door, pacing the short distance of the entry hallway because she's full of nervous excitement. She's eager to see Liz again, excited, but nervous about what Liz might tell her about this place, what she's been through. The life she's lived. Hundreds of miles had separated them before and it had felt like a loss. Now how many months separated them?

But for now, Maria jumps to grab the handle and open up the door, immediately letting out a little squeal and throwing her arms around Liz. It's only been a few days since she last saw her, but she's so grateful to have familiar faces here. ]

[ortecho]

[ Liz squeals right back. Six months without Maria has felt like an eternity. She’s felt so homesick and having her friend here with her now feels so good. It’s incredibly selfish, because Duplicity isn’t good for anyone, but she’s glad for the reunion. Liz hugs her friend tightly and bounces up and down excitedly. Seeing Maria in the flesh is like having another piece of Roswell here in this worthless pit of a city. She pulls away and puts her hands on her hips as she looks at her. ]

Oh, wow, I still can’t believe you’re here! I mean, I don’t want you to be here. I want all of us to be home, but this is the next best thing!

[her_own_savior]

Yeah, I would say I don't mind being swept away to an exotic city instead of Roswell, except for the part where everything here is so fucked up. [ She makes a pained expression at the last, but it quickly fades because Liz is standing here, Maria's already gotten the rundown and there's only so much she can do or countenance about it before she thinks she'll go insane.

So she steps back and gestures for Liz to come in, shutting the door behind her. ]

Come here. Tell me everything that's going on with you, what's happening. [ A breath of a pause. ] I heard Max was here and now he's not...

[ortecho]

God, don’t I know it.

[ Liz groans and steps inside. Housing in the Up is pretty nice, as it turns out, but she’s not complaining. The house she lives in with Alex and Bass isn’t bad, either. Her train of thought switches quickly back to Maria because, damn, it’s good to see her. She smiles the biggest she has in weeks. It feels like a dark cloud has lifted off of her life and something good has finally happened to her.

Maria mentions Max and her posture wilts slightly. Liz never got to talk to him about what had happened between the two of them back home. She frowns a little bit. ]

Yeah. Yeah, that wasn’t that long before you showed up. As crazy as it sounds, we were drifting apart here. I hated it.

[her_own_savior]

[ Maria is moving towards her to give her a hug again as soon as she sees that change in posture. She assumes, at first, that it's because Max is gone that she feels this way, but as Maria wraps her arms loosely around her, she hears what else Liz is saying. ]

Oh, Liz, I'm sorry. I can't imagine going through everything this place throws at you and not have Max right there by your side.

[ It seems odd, too, but at the same time, she knows so very little of what this place can do to a person. She can't begin to presume. ]

[ortecho]

[ Liz hugs Maria tightly. It had been hard losing Max, but it had been hard with him here, too. There was something different about their relationship and he’d been growing closer to someone else. At least he’s waiting for her at home. ]

He’s safer at home. I miss him like crazy, though.

[ She smiles faintly and crosses her arms. ]

So, what do you know about this place? Maybe I can fill in the blanks if there are any.

[her_own_savior]

[ She makes a little "eh" noise at the safer statement, pulling back to give her a mild look of question. ]

Is anywhere really safer for Max and everybody? We do the best we can, but...

[ Which reminds her of the questions she needs to ask Liz, and potentially all the filling in that Maria needs to do for her. ]

Guerin gave me the rundown so far. I have three months to get a Submissive contracted to me, I have to have sex three times a month, and these people running the "program" are psychopaths.

[ She makes a wincing face as she looks at Liz. ]

How have you managed so far?

[ortecho]

[ Liz frowns. Duplicity is pretty insane and here there was always the possibility of being punished by a SIN guard, but at least here the government wasn’t about to kidnap and dissect Max. Maybe she’d spoken without thinking. Now that she considers the situation, she wishes even more that Max hadn’t left. A sigh passes her lips and she says more with her silence than she ever could with words. ]

That sounds about right. They’re really rigid about their rules, too, so…

[ She winces. It’s not pleasant to think about what could happen to any of her friends should they bend or break a rule, but it’s especially unpleasant to think about anything happening to Maria. She’s one of Liz’s best friends and has just arrived. Maria deserves to take a breath. ]

Me? Uh, well, my first month here I wound up at our fair city’s lovely SLUT center for abstaining from sex, but after that I acclimated pretty quickly. I think the phrase is scared straight.

[her_own_savior]

[ Maria winces a little at her own words. She can read Liz's silences, especially when they're in direct response to something Maria's said. She squeezes Liz's shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort without saying as much, reminding her that she's still there. She has no idea what's going to happen to Max back home, not past what Maria has lived, so she can't even be much of a reassurance no that note.

Her frown deepens and the pressure of her hand increases as Liz explains what happened to her. ]

Oh my God, Liz. A SLUT center? What the hell? What did they do to you?

[ortecho]

[ Maria has always been a comforting presence and a good friend. It’s one of many reasons Liz is so glad to see her again. Of course she would rather see her in a different setting, but beggars can’t exactly be choosers.

She frowns as well at Maria’s question. Liz doesn’t want to get into the gory details. Her stint at the SLUT center isn’t an experience she likes to relive vividly, but perhaps sharing a vague picture of what had happened might help Maria a little. She is new to this place, after all. Getting an idea of what this place is like could be beneficial to her. ]

It was probably the worst experience I’ve had here so far. They drugged me, had a Dominant come in, and forced him to spank me. Then…

[ Liz trails off with a sigh, raising her eyebrows. ]

You get the picture.

[her_own_savior]

[ If Maria had had any proper idea of what she had been asking, inquiring about the SLUT center, she wouldn't have put the question to Liz. As it stands, with what she's just heard, she wouldn't have held it against her friend to sidestep the question either.

But what she does hear is so terribly close to the worst that she can imagine (because Maria hasn't been in Duplicity long enough for her imagination to get creative) the she immediately swoops in with another hug. ]

Oh my God, Liz. I'm so sorry.

[ortecho]

[ It’s been difficult for Liz living in Duplicity, or at least it was difficult those very first months. Now she’s used to the laws, the customs, the people… She doesn’t believe she should have to be used to them, but that’s another conversation entirely. Liz hasn’t had a citation since that very first trip for realignment. She’s been doing well and plans to keep on doing well to the best of her ability. The hug, though, is very welcome. Her arms give Maria a squeeze and hold her there for a moment. ]

I’m okay. Promise.

[her_own_savior]

I'll kill them if they try that again.

[ It's an empty statement, as Liz no doubt knows that there's nothing Maria can do and Maria herself is swiftly coming to that conclusion. But she would kick up hell if she could and would do everything in her power to keep Liz out of that situation again. ]

OK, here. Tell me something good. Anything, even small. There's gotta be something to balance out the shit, right?

[ortecho]

[ Honestly, if it does happen again, Liz doesn’t want any of her friends to put themselves between her and the SIN guards. She knows that the locals will fight tooth and nail to enforce the ridiculous laws of this messed up city and she doesn’t want her friends to get hurt. For the sake of lightening the conversation up a bit, though, she smiles at Maria. ]

You know I’ve got your back too, right?

[ That smile becomes a grin. ]

Ooh. Something good. Well, I have a friend here. Very cute, very funny. He’s just a friend, but he helps me make quota when I need it.

[ Max has always been the one Liz loves, and he still is, but she’s been having a lot of fun with Tim. It’s not just any guy who will reenact the last dance from Dirty Dancing with you in public. ]

I hope you get to meet him soon.

[her_own_savior]

[ Maria cocks her head with interest, not bothering to hide it. This is her friend and she's allowed to be invested in all her juicy gossip and love affairs. ]

Ooh, a friend. Does he have a name? Do they have Instagram here so I can stalk him a little?

[ She grins at her own joke. Well, not quite a joke. She does want to stalk whoever it is Liz is seeing. It doesn't bother her that she's not hung up on Max disappearing. It's for the best that she's not, given what limited knowledge Maria has of this place. ]

[ortecho]

[ She would expect nothing less from Maria! Liz would be acting the exact same way had her friend met someone special in this place. Tim isn’t Max, but he’s a pretty fantastic guy. Liz might not truly love him at the moment, but he’s a dear friend and for her that’s enough right now. ]

His name is Tim, Tim Stoker, and I think the closest thing we have to social media here are these gross personal ads the city puts out from time to time with weirdly intimate details. But…

[ Liz fidgets with her phone a little and manages to pull up a picture she’d taken of Tim. He’s cute, smiling from ear to ear and looking like he’s ready to cause some serious mischief. She suspects it’s his default expression. ]

[her_own_savior]

[ Her expression shifts between eager interest to confused disgust at the mention of gross personal ads, and then back to interest when Liz pulls out the phone. Maria leans in to get a good look at him.

He is cute, but she notes that smile. Mostly with approval, but she does have a bit of an arched brow and smirk when she looks at Liz. ]

He looks like good trouble.

[ortecho]

[ Tim can be trouble, but Maria is right. He’s only the best kinds of trouble. For as long as Liz has known him, he’s been a good guy. Tim has always treated Liz right and been a good friend to her. It’s no wonder why she always seems to fall into bed with the man. He was cute and charming. ]

That about sums him up.

[ Liz laughs. It’s nice being able to talk about a guy with Maria without it being awkward. Where she’s from, Liz is likely still going strong with Max. It might seem strange to see her bring someone else up, even only as a friend with benefits. ]