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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
[ why... does her mouth say words? why is that a thing it does? she actually doesn't seem too embarrassed by it - it was clever! because sonic only ever wore shoes ever - but the way her smile goes a little dopey makes it obvious she knows it wasn't the most cool way to finish that sentence.
but y'know what? she's not taking the blame for whatever embarrassing things her mouth feels like coming up with without her permission, because her brain is still too busy trying to process everything else about this situation. who has the time to be concerned about words when you're standing toe-to-toe with an ex you never thought you'd actually see again?
not gwen. gwen's brain doesn't have time to be concerned about anything besides that. because- okay, no, it's not as if been waiting around for him to come back, pining for him this whole time. did it mess with her that she never got to actually say goodbye before they sent him back to his universe? of course. but it was also months ago. so... so yeah! it's not this earth-shattering moment with grand musical crescendos or cymbal crashes in the back of her mind, the world hasn't stopped spinning under their feet.
but she definitely missed him, for about a hundred different reasons. it'd be insane of her to try and convince herself that she didn't. and it's probably a little bit shitty of her to feel happy about having him here again, but part of it really is centered in the fact that she knows he's a good guy. and a good guy, even though she knows he'd give her shit for saying that. ..not that he can. he doesn't even know her. ]
I'm Gwen. [ she's also even more toe-to-toe with him than she was a moment ago, considering she's shielded from the rain again, but it somehow doesn't feel too close. it's a pretty big umbrella. do they both really need to be holding onto it still? no. but gwen can't seem to bring herself to move her hand away from where it's settled next to his on the handle just yet. ] And hey, no need to thank me. I'm sure your pride would have endured this, with or without me. Or without pants. [ a beat, then her smile quirks up again ] But really, I'm happy to help. My clothes have never melted away in the rain before, but I'm- very familiar with how quickly things can turn from stupid to insanely stupid in this place.
no subject
[ If he can't make cheap jokes about himself, what's the point? Especially when a beautiful girl is there being kind enough to help him in a place like this. Even given his condition which is definitely not his best moment, but he's trying to make the best of it.
He definitely doesn't mind sharing that small space with her, shifting to keep himself beneath the umbrella, which only brings him closer to her. Focused on her with a soft smile as his fingers lightly brush hers on the umbrella. The rain is definitely having an effect, leaving him much more playful and flirtatious than he might normally be. Not that it's hard with someone like her. ]
The pleasure is mine, Gwen. I suppose you're right, but I'm still thankful. Though I guess I'll need to start shopping where you do when I finally get a job. In case this continues on. Or make me something to wear out of an umbrella.
[ He makes a face. ]
Are things like this the norm then?
no subject
[ she's joking, but she's only- half joking. there's way more truth to the statement than she's letting on, but she's pretty sure he's already gotten a good enough read on the city to see that on his own without her specifying. plus, she's not sure she's ready to get into that deep of a discussion just yet. not right now, not out in the rain.
it's easy to move on from that thought though, once he brings up shopping to buy clothes where she does. it throws her off guard, but only because her clothes haven't ever attracted any kind of attention that made her think she needed a game plan for a moment like this. it feels shitty to try and lie to him about it, but it's not like the truth is even all that believable, and it's also not something she exactly wants to lead with during this ( second ) first impression.
so instead! she'll just breeze right on by that part of what he said like she maybe didn't even catch on to the fact that he's noticed her clothes are still fully intact. she even shifts the focus even more by letting go of the umbrella finally, but only so she can slip her arm through his, very casually, before urging him to follow her with a small tug. dum de dum nothing to see here~ ]
Pervy weather? Not so much. But it definitely isn't out of the ordinary for the city to cause something incredibly embarrassing to happen to all of us. They always seem to find cute new ways to be really intrusive, all the time. And not just in the obvious, um, quota way.
[ she rolls her eyes, but looks a little apologetic after - if he's new to the city, she shouldn't be so blasé about it. she knows that. someone being able to track their sex habits is almost insane enough to be funny, but not being given the chance to give consent and have control over the situation? definitely not something she's just come to terms with, even after being here for so long. so she knows she shouldn't be acting so casual about it, but the alternative is.. what? get mad? again? more? she could do that, sure. there are times she still does feel actively frustrated and angered by everything about this place. but right now?
right now she's more interested in just working off of whatever energy dick decides to give her, which right now happens to be... pretty positive? or maybe she's still just too damn happy to see him to register much beyond that.
and the rain certainly isn't helping ]
You were assigned housing, right? In the Down? We're not too far from the train station, but maybe we should pick you up a shirt somewhere along the way.
no subject
[ Not that he didn't have training that would do well for it, at least for rhythm and some serious skills on a pole.
It does hit him how much she glosses over that and he files it away to think about later though he is fine with her guiding him along and seeing what he might find out. ]
I'll settle for other that my clothes melting. I admit, it's not something I've ever thought was an issue.
[ Acid rain, sure, but not selective acid rain. That's definitely new to him and he's not sure what to make of it.
But then this whole place is the same way. What is he supposed to do about any of this? He's already trying to work up a plan, for himself and Gar, though he suspects Jason won't be involved in that. Not only that he's been here longer but he's picked up a lot about how much might be different between them. More so than had ever been different between them.
His hand brushes over hers on his arm, leaning into her as much as he can without knocking both of them over. ]
I was. It's not the worst housing I've lived in but I wouldn't recommend it to others. Definitely not four star.
[ And despite him walking away from Bruce, he's still be used to living in the ways he only could because of the Wayne name attached to his. He might be a hypocrite but least he's aware of it. ]
I hate taking advantage of your hospitality. You'll at least have to let me do something to make it up to you.
[ Because she has to know he has no money, or a means of purchasing things considering the mark on his throat. He's not above letting her do this for him though, so long as she knows he will do what he can to make it up to her for the kindness. ]