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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
he doesn't miss marcus, exactly - he just doesn't know it's marcus, crouched down low and huddled under an umbrella and a shallow awning, trying to keep out of the rain. someone's gonna jump that kid, he thinks to himself, and briefly considers stopping to let him know that there's a small gang not far behind where he just came from, just in case he wants to get out of the way before they come around, but. well, he's got places to be, people to find. umbrellas to try and find and haggle a low price for, so he keeps going.
and then someone shouts, presumably at him, and it sets him a little on edge just as much as it licks a stroke of familiarity in him. billy skids to a stop instinctively, tilting his weight back onto his back heel and dragging the back of his board across the asphalt to slow him down. immediately, once he's stopped, he lowers the trash bag from above his head - he's still dressed head to toe in plastic, so it was really just a precaution anyway - and kicks his board up into his hand, holding the bag in his other.
he turns. the rain makes it a little hard to make out who's coming at him like someone walking barefoot on hot coals, but the mild paranoia that'd flared up at the first initial shout kind of drifts away from him. they've got an umbrella already, so the likelihood of them trying to jump him for his piece of shit trash bag is very unlikely. as they get closer, though, and as billy squints, rain dripping into his face from the edges of the plastic hood pulled up over his head, he quickly realizes that this isn't just anybody.
it's marcus. and if billy actually needed confirmation, it comes with marcus standing there, telling him his name, and all billy can do is laugh, both relieved to have finally found one of his friends in this fucked up little city, and amused at marcus' stupidity. he would know marcus anywhere by now.
billy meets him in the middle, happy and anxious, because he still only half understands what the fuck is going on here. half a day ago, he was in vegas, numb and scared out of his mind at the same time, his hands still hot from his own father's blood, and no idea where any of his friends were, and then he was just - here. everything in between is foggy, but he's got a feeling master lin is behind this, somehow. the rules at king's are no sex, no drugs, so dropping them into a place that seems to revolve around both seems like some kind of test of will if he's ever seen one. ]
Jesus, Marcus, I've been looking for you all day. Dude, Lin is gonna kill us. Where's everybody else?
no subject
it occurs to marcus, then, that he's encountered a rare shift in their usual dynamic. throughout the entire time billy's known him, marcus has been, of the two of them, the one out of his depth; adjusting to king's, both in terms of classes and social hierarchy, spending their time together in vegas blasted out of his gourd, needing billy to babysit him on the most important roadtrip he'll ever take... he's never had the upper hand, never come across as particularly capable, and it feels good, albeit a little daunting, to be on this side of things. he's not the kind of person who enjoys being relied on, but he is the kind of person who enjoys being needed.
he has a little more power, here in duplicity. they're both still rats, as far as the city is concerned, but marcus has a solid month or two of experience being here, which is something he can use to his advantage. billy asks about home and marcus just shakes his head, moving in closer to try and shoulder-to-shoulder billy beneath his umbrella. it's not the most comfortable position, with marcus trying to give billy space while still kinda-sorta-selfishly trying to keep himself as dry as he can, but it's gotta be better than a trash bag. ]
Uh - they're not here. Neither is Lin - everyone's back home. You're the first friendly face I've seen in a while.
[ the rain isn't letting up, and the elbow of marcus's hoodie is starting to burn away. he pulls his arm in, sighs, and looks up at the sky through the vinyl of his umbrella, then turns to billy with genuine concern on his face. billy doesn't seem... any more ready to whip his dick out in public than he normally is, so that's a plus, but he knows what this city is like, by now. he's gotta get him under shelter before the rain starts really getting to him. marcus tugs on billy's... plastic, and nods his head back towards the awning he was under, silently leading him back that way. good first step. ]
C'mon, we've gotta get you somewhere dry. I'll call a few people I know, see if there's somewhere in the Up we can crash until the storm passes.
no subject
truthfully, he doesn't really need the umbrella either, not with his fashionable, plastic outfit keeping him dry, but - there's an odd, comforting relief that comes with marcus' closeness and the silent, unspoken offer to look out for him, just by simply sharing his umbrella. marcus always looks out for him - whether it's by giving lex shit for being a prick and fucking up his attempt to talk to petra, or by - by killing billy's fucking dad for him so he wouldn't have to carry the weight of that guilt on his own, marcus has been there for him more than probably anyone else ever has. and here he is again, holding an umbrella over the both of them and tolerating holes in his clothes when billy doesn't even really need it.
he needs to thank him. here and now probably isn't the place for it, but billy needs to thank marcus for what he did for him. it feels kind of twisted and fucked up to want to thank someone for murdering the shit out of one of his parents, but at the same time, billy understands the gravity of what marcus did for him, what he'll now carry with him, probably for the rest of his life. ... or maybe not. gene wasn't the first person marcus has killed. maybe it gets easier, the more and more you do it.
billy rustles the trash bag in his hand a little bit, realizing kind of belatedly that he's been staring marcus for a little too long, zoned out and only half listening. the fingers of his other hand are wrapped around one of the trucks on his board, his thumb absently pushing a wheel around. he scrunches his brow, finally registering what marcus has told him.
no one's here, not even lin, and billy's not sure what part of that seems less believable. he shakes his head a little his lip curling slightly, like he thinks marcus is pulling his leg, even though he has no reason to. maybe maria, saya, and willie fucked off, maybe they found out what the trip to vegas was really about and left both their asses in the dust, unwilling to get caught up in something that could, potentially, lead to them getting thrown out of king's. lin not being here, however, just seems - well, billy doesn't really know how to make sense of this place if lin isn't behind any of it, like he originally assumed. ]
Dude - what? [ he makes a motion with one of his hands, garbage bag fluttering again. ] We went from Vegas, where we just freaking— [ murdered someone ] —to, to Hornytown, USA, where they take all your clothes and push a bunch of mystery drugs into your hand and you're trying to tell me that's not Lin trying to test our will? Come on, Marcus.
[ as much as he argues, billy doesn't seem all that motivated to keep it going. he doesn't really want to believe that his friends aren't here, he doesn't want to believe that duplicity isn't as easily explained as he'd hoped, but what reason would marcus have to lie about the two of them being here alone? billy trusts marcus more than anyone.
so he lets it go for now, pushes past the mild anxiety and moves on, stepping in closer when marcus tugs on his plastic jacket and slinging one of his arms over the back of marcus' neck, letting his arm hang loose over his shoulder. he thumps his closed fist (and the trash bag) lightly against marcus' chest, letting him lead him, and only just realizes, belatedly, that marcus said— ]
A while? [ he turns his head, looking at the side of marcus' face, close enough that he's slightly blurry. ] ... Why's that sound like you mean more than like - six hours? How long's 'a while'?
[ long enough to know people, apparently. and then, apropos of nothing, he shakes the bag in his hand a little, and says, ]
Here, free poncho. Put this on.