Duplicity Game Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
duplicitymods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
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
[ this guy seems too well-adjusted to be new, but sometimes it takes a minute for the culture shock to set in. ]
no subject
( so somewhere between where the culture shock would sit in for most people, and the space directly after it. )
No point in getting my feathers all ruffled; it is what it is. ( rolling his shoulders back in a mock shrug, easy. ) How long have you been around?
no subject
[ he's been trying to get in the habit of being friendly to people, especially new people, and this guy seems nice enough. ]
no subject
( with a quick turn around to leave the rest of the ponchos and umbrellas on the corner, so whoever might need one could grab one on their way. jasper then reaches out a hand, easy. offers it out. )
Name's Jasper.
no subject
Ragnor Fell, a pleasure.
no subject
Know any good places to grab drinks 'round these parts, Ragnor?
no subject
[ the ones owned by non-locals. ragnor goes out of his way to avoid things sold by the city.
and well, they could walk, but why do that when ragnor can just step to the side and open a portal with just a handful of elegant, precise hand movements? he steps back once the portal is open. ]
This might get me in trouble were I not accompanied by a Dominant. After you.
no subject
They that strict?
( he's going. takes a step through the portal and waits on the other side for ragnor to follow. )
no subject
In the Up, yes. My contract allows me to move freely, but the allowances do not extend to my company. Had you seen magic before?
[ he assumes jasper must have, or else he's still working through the shock of having been dragged into this city. ]
no subject
jasper reaches into his pocket to pull out the phone given to him by the city, holds it up to ragnor. )
Never seen anything quite like this either, honest.
no subject
I can show you how to use that. It's rather intuitive, once you understand the basics.
[ ragnor steps into the bar and beelines for a corner booth, one where they can both have a clear view of the entrance. ragnor is a paranoid guy and he doesn't like to have his back open. ]
Where were you before being pulled into the city?
no subject
he gets himself comfortable easily enough. taps fingers against the surface of the table. )
New York. 1953.
no subject
[ he tries to wave a server to get drinks and is annoyingly ignored, so he turns to jasper with a huff. ]
Would you mind? I will pay, of course. They just like being difficult about Submissives taking the lead, especially when accompanied.
no subject
'scuse me! My good friend here is tryin' to get your attention.
no subject
[ ragnor addresses jasper quietly. he's not all that bothered, he's had to put up with absurd social norms for hundreds of years, this is no different. and he supposes this is as soft an introduction to duplicity society as there can be, jasper might benefit from it. ]
no subject
once they've turned back around and left, his attention refocuses in on ragnor. )
Doesn't it bother you?
no subject
[ being a warlock means you must grow used to nasty looks and poorly concealed insults. ragnor has always opted for civility when that's been an option— no point in picking fights with people whose opinion doesn't matter. ]
I am very old, and my complexion is uncommon even among my kind. This kind of attitude is something one grows accustomed to.
no subject
( or. well. people have done it before but it doesn't make it right. he'd get into it, get angry, complain about it--but there's no point to it here, is there? not when they're sitting in a public space when he's aware of the social stigma behind it. not yet anyway. )
I'm sorry. That this's crap you gotta deal with.
no subject
[ he'd get less trouble if he wore a collar. he knows a few people who do and thinks it's a smart choice, but he'd rather be occasionally slighted than go there. ]
... relatively freely, anyway. I cannot leave the city, magically or otherwise.
no subject
jasper keeps his mouth shut on the subject instead, and slides his phone across the table to ragnor instead. )
You said these were intuitive?
no subject
[ he takes the phone, then slides closer to jasper so they can both look at the screen. ]
Once you learn what each little picture is for you'll have a very easy time.
[ ragnor shows him the map first, since jasper's new and wouldn't have anyone to contact yet. he moves to phone and texting after. ]
no subject
( he follows along easy. jasper isn't used to technology on this scale, but he's clever enough to pick up on things once they've been shown to him once or twice. getting used to using the phone is going to be something else entirely, but learning how it works is just step one of that, isn't it?
sometime in the middle of their lesson, the server comes back with their drinks. jasper offers them a thank you kindly, without paying too much mind to them during or after. if they're not gonna pay attention to his good new friend, he's not giving them any either. )