Duplicity Game Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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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!! |
no subject
( blue, ever the pragmatist, doesn't feel guilty at all about running away. sad for whoever stumbles across them next, maybe, but she has her priorities and they're in this room with her already.
the dissolving paper towels aren't a great sign, neither is the sleeve slowly being eaten away at either. she directs a scowl at the sweater briefly, as if it has the power to make her clothing suddenly stop melting away. unsurprisingly it doesn't work, and after a moment she just steps back a little and tugs it over her head.
oh well, she didn't like it that much anyway. )
I like it better when I'm the one doing the distressing.
( she could spend a lot of time thinking about henry's thumb on her cheek if she let herself, but annoyingly she doesn't know if it's the proximity, or if it's the rain, or if it's him. she shakes her head a little, tries to ignore the next drip that slides down the side of her face, and scrutinises him instead. )
How wet did you get?
no subject
there's not much room to turn around as blue starts removing her sweater, so he kind of angles away looks up at the ceiling in a way that he hopes is respectful. just in case. he takes a deep breath. ]
Um. Not very.
[ without an umbrella he's taken to using that horrendous clear plastic outfit to protect himself. some rain had gotten on his face and hands as they ran. very carefully, he unbuttoned the jacket and shrugged it off, making sure not to transfer water onto anything dry. holding it open, he offers it to her so it would be easy to slip her arms inside.
hey, and a bonus is that it would cover much more of her than it did him. ]
I've seen Ronan. Have you been in touch with the others?
no subject
but it's different. not just because no one understands what a raven boy is outside of their little group, but because they're here at all. because she can connect the dots between henry not being able to help the gangs' next victim, but being able to help blue. because he has a tattoo down his throat and blue doesn't. )
Noah and Adam.
( not just them, but there's a lump in her throat she can't quite swallow down yet. she distracts herself and distracts them both by worming her arms into the sleeves of the jacket, shrugging the thing up over her shoulders and smoothing her palms down her body uncomfortably.
she doesn't want to talk about this. actually, she'd be quite comfortable to pretend it isn't happening at all, but more than that she wants to talk to someone about it. she wants to talk to henry. they've all lost something to gansey's missing memories, but the rest of them didn't have venezuela. )
Have— ( she blinks a few times, staring straight forward at his chest and not anywhere near his face. ) have you talked to Gansey?
no subject
Yes. I have.
[ he can tell that blue is struggling because he has never known her to be anything less than aggressively direct. however as much as henry cares for gansey (extraordinarily), and as certain as he is that they are meant to be in each others' lives (irrefutably), he is... not gansey's or blue's true love. so his priority is to find a way to comfort blue without, himself, betraying the depth of his feelings about the situation.
he bites his lip. and he doesn't take his eyes away from her despite he refusal to look at him. ]
That makes his entire royal court. I hear we were brought here directly after he was.
[ it's a potentially dangerous implication, but still an important one to make. they were connected. the universe knew so even if gansey forgot. ]
no subject
this isn't the way she wants to approach anything. actually she has the distinct urge to bulldoze through all of this, right through gansey and his lack of memories through no fault of his own, and maybe right through henry just for the crime of also knowing what she knows.
but they're here and she can't make this more complicated, for any of them. it's why she's avoided this whole mess of timeline conversations with everyone else. it's why she lied to gansey, though even now she's sure that the choice made there will come back to bite her later. )
Even this psychotic place knows that he can't possibly function without his gang.
( it's a joke that doesn't quite get delivered like one, her lips quirking up into a wry little smile, and instead she just pushes a hand through her hair and sighs. she looks back at henry, finally. seriously. )
What are we going to do, Henry.
( this is his problem too. of course it is. )
no subject
and it's just like gansey that they all fell into his orbit again and he doesn't even know. or maybe it's just like that with henry. sighing, he shrugs and shakes his head. he usually always has a plan, but now? with this? henry wonders what his mother would do - lie low, observe, endear yourself to the right people while you accumulate power...
the problem is that henry is not seondeok and she would not care like he does.
so what are they going to do? henry smiles softly, trying to be reassuring. ]
Adam and Ronan will take care of him, as always, and he'll fall in love with you all over again.
[ henry looks away for a moment, tapping his fingers on the wall before looking back at her again. ]
Are you going to tell him?
[ about everything, he means, but especially the curse. ]
no subject
he doesn't know that she calls him, late at night when neither of them can sleep and the world breathes a little too close down the back of their necks. he doesn't know that he can sleep after she hangs up.
something like this could threaten to overwhelm her, but she's determined not to let it. already there's a spark of something more stubborn and defiant in her eyes, validating her own choices so that no one else has to. )
There's something else you should know.
( she made a decision and she has to stick to it now, but she certainly isn't looking for approval. blue already knows all the ways in which it was stupid — but then, lying to protect gansey is surely second nature by now. she's been doing it ever since she met him, practically. )
I told him— ( she swallows, doesn't quite meet henry's eyes again. ) I told him I was from the same time as him. It just seemed...neater.
no subject
what the... what is happening. henry frowns, his chest feeling tight. he knows, objectively, that this is an easier option for blue and gansey. if they were going to reset their relationship by a full year it would make sense to forget their history and try to be on even footing again. it would be easier to start over.
so why does he feel so... how he feels. ]
Blue... We didn't meet until after that.
[ stranded. and he doesn't know how to get out of this position. if she's going to keep this going that means she can't know him when gansey is around. it means that whenever they're near him - he's lost them both.
suddenly this room feels far too small. he can't seem to catch his breath. turning around, he couldn't seem to get the handle to work. ]
Okay.
Can we-
We should leave, someone probably needs the bathroom.
no subject
( she might have done something differently, if she'd known henry was here maybe, or if she'd had more than half a second to think about it before she just acted— blue isn't suited to impulse decisions, she works far better with time to break down a situation, think through it, come to a conclusion.
but she won't entertain a world where she has to explain a relationship to someone it means nothing to, and she won't entertain a world where she has to pretend like she doesn't know henry. there's nothing wrong with having you cake and eating it too, she'll just...have to figure something out.
— later though, because right now the scowl drops from her face at the expression on his. )
Okay, come on. Here.
( she drops her hand onto his wrist, trying to still the movement of his hands so that she can twist the handle instead. she doesn't have a plan, once they get out of there, but it seems imperative to do that much at least right now. )