duplicitymemes | TDM #17

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TDM #17

« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »

« « « ALL ON DISPLAY

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:

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

(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!!

» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The mention of magic makes Luke smile. He's heard that term used often enough when people see the things he can do.

"What is magic except something we don't understand? I get called 'wizard' and 'sorcerer' back home sometimes. And I know that feeling! I don't think I've stayed in one system for longer than a couple of months in years. Once I got off Tatooine, I wanted to see everything."

“Tatooine?” It is what catches her attention and what she gravitates towards in the conversation. Padmé looks a little startled, because even though there are others from her galaxy, it is still always surprising to find someone else who possibly may be. She still does want to make certain as many people seem to come from different Earths. “That wouldn’t happen to be a desert planet with twin suns?”

He nods, smile growing as he realises that she knows it. That they share a galaxy. "Yeah. Heat and sand and not much else. I grew up outside of Anchorage, if you know the planet at all?"

"I know it a little." Not that Padmé particularly enjoyed the planet, if she is being truthful. It was too hot and dry for her liking, enjoying the more moderate temperature of Naboo, with it's lush pastures and deep lakes. But, she had met Anakin there, so she wouldn't change that for the world. "I've been around Mos Espa and in the Great Chott salt flat area."

"Never been to Mos Espa. My aunt and uncle were pretty strict about staying away from the cities and crime gangs. They always said it was having a slave name, they didn't want any mix ups."

There had been a lot of reasons, really.

"Anchorage had a lot of old slave name families around it. About as far from Mos Espa as you get on Tatooine while still within trade range."

"I had little choice back then. My ship was damaged and needed to land." Padmé had seen it up close and in person, surprised that slavery was still a thing in the galaxy. She'd tried to go back and free some, although it had been Sabé that had gone then, trying to find Shmi, and saving those that she could. A mere handful at the end of the day, before Padmé had needed her again.

"It was fairly harsh, but there was also kindness there."

"I know." He does. Owen and Beru took him in, raised him. The Darklighters were always kind to him, not just because of his friendship with Biggs. "It's still a pretty lousy planet in a lot of ways. If you don't enjoy risking your life racing, shooting womp rats or cleaning sand out of everything, there's a pretty limited range of things to learn and do."

"I'm from Naboo, so it is more or less as different as night and day." Gentler and softer, in many ways, her people tended to have plenty to share, but would indeed stand up for themselves if it came to it. Padmé knows that they had withdrawn over the years from their neighbours and the galaxy, but she had sought to adjust that, to re-open trade and re-establish old friendships. Her lips do twitch. "I'm afraid none of those are really my hobbies, although I am a decent shot."

Naboo. Palpatine's home planet. His mother's planet. "I haven't been there yet. I'm going to have to go eventually to help with any Sith or Jedi relics that might be hidden there, but there just hasn't been time yet." The Imperial presence is still strong and aggressive.

He shrugs slightly and ducks his head, a little sheepish. "I've been told I take after my father in a lot of ways."

"I may be a little biased, but it is a very lovely planet." Not that she is aware of any relics hidden there, although it is not like Padmé would likely know that anyway. She doesn't have the same capacity as the Jedi or the Sith to use it. "Oh? And what was your father like?"

"What was he like...?" Broken. Terribly broken. "I only met him once, when he was dying. I thought he was dead most of my life. I was raised by my aunt and uncle, after my mother died and my father was presumed dead in the war." It was what he'd been told all his life on Tatooine. "He was one of the best pilots most people ever met. Beru told me once that he was the only human to win the Boonta Eve pod race, which, naturally, meant that I wanted to try it as well." He chuckles to himself at the memory. Owen had been furious.

The colour drains a touch from her face, a chill trickling down her spine as he speaks. His aunt, Beru, his father, the only human... It has to be a coincidence, does it not? She swallows, feeling her heart thumping harder against her chest. It can’t be.

“His name? What might it happen to be?”

He can feel her distress. If that's the word he wants. It's not a pleasant emotion she's feeling.

The smile vanishes with her spike of emotions. "... Anakin. Anakin Skywalker. But... you already knew that."

It's confusion, trepidation, perhaps hope? And yet... Yet he has spoken in the past tense, that if he were their... Then they would not be around. She doesn't imagine herself to be anything more than a drop of water in an ocean, that her passing may well go unnoticed by the galaxy at large, yet when? She knows that this place draws from not only different places, but different times as well.

Swallowing again, she glances down at her hands. Is it a lie? But to what end? Her gaze rises again, and perhaps it is that which had made her look at him again, a blending of their features. Anakin's fairer hair, but her gentleness? But it is still a lot. "I- yes and no. I've met Beru and Owen, Lars. Been to their farm. And Ani- I met him all those years ago on Tatooine. Luke... Skywalker?"

Luke nods slowly. Too slowly, probably, but the implications and everything associated with it are starting to sink in.

"Luke Skywalker," he agrees softly. "Padmé Naberrie?" She looks so much like Leia. Leia looks so much like her, perhaps is more accurate. But Leia's attitude is far closer to their father. Perhaps... he can see a bit more of himself in Padmé's demeanour. He's looking closer at her as well now, the two of them staring like they've just found answers (or questions) that they didn't know existed.

She gives a little blink at that. While it is true that is her birth name, she is known more often as Amidala, the name she assumed when she entered into politics. Technically, she supposes she could be Skywalker as well, but it is never a name that she has formally taken, for a number of reasons. It is easy enough to answer that then to fully let everything sink in. "I still keep Amidala, but Naberrie is also correct."

She takes a moment.

"I- sorry. I just never- I mean, yes, I always wanted a family, but considering the circumstances and secrecy in my marriage, and the war- How much do you know?" Softening a little as she shifts in her seat a little. There is a genuine honesty to him that Padmé can't deny. Luke has spoken of some things before the pieces started to fall into place, but just how much does he know?

In public she was Amidala. But Leia had introduced him to the idea of their mother as Naberrie, so it was the name he always thought of first.

How much does he know? Not as much as he'd like, more than she can and he doesn't know how much he can say without somehow damaging reality. "I- I know you two weren't meant to marry. That you were a Senator, Father a Jedi General in the Clone Wars, that Ben, Obi-Wan, was his Master. Leia knows more about you, her adoptive parents talked about you to her. Owen didn't like talking about- much, really. He told me my father was a navigator on a spice freighter, that he died when his ship was attacked for the cargo."

It would be the name that tied her to her own family, to her mother and father, her sister and nieces. Amidala would likely lead to her rise as princess of Theed, and later queen of Naboo. Further still as senator, but Naberrie is her true self, hidden away from the public world.

She gives a little shake of her head, trying to follow, but there are several key pieces of information missing.

"What does Leia have to do with it?" It may be clear as glass for him, but it is as clear as mud to her. It is a swirl of information though. Anakin had been a Jedi General, of course, and Obi-Wan his Master, although she pauses over the Ben portion of it. And Leia- adoptive parents? He had spoken of her only as a princess, senator, rebel leader, but... "Is she...?"

Luke isn't used to advertising their relationship yet. He prefers to check with Leia before he tells people, but this situation is so far from 'usual' as to be meaningless. "She's my twin sister. We met when we were nineteen and she sent a message to an Obi-Wan Kenobi asking for his help. I ended up with the droids carrying the message. We went to save her, she ended up saving us, it was a thing."

He looks away, to his hands in his lap. "We found out last year. That we're twins. Ben never had a chance to tell us and Yoda... chose not to, which I can't entirely blame him for." If he'd carried that knowledge to Bespin, he would've doomed them both. "So she's Leia Organa and I'm Luke Skywalker and I don't think either us quite knows how to handle telling people."

Twin. Not just one child, but twins? Yet it only brings even more questions to her. Why? Even if she had passed, and something had happened to Anakin, her own family in Navi would have taken them in. She has no doubt of that. There must be something that she is missing, that she can’t see. If Obi-Wan and Yoda knew... Does Obi-Wan know now?

“Bail,” she supplements, wondering how he had gotten involved. Bail, who- but she pushes that information away, as it is a conversation to be had with another. Padmé hesitates a moment, before moving to reach out and lay a hand over his. “You- what you say is unexpected, but not unwelcome. It’s a surprise, your existence, but you do share a remarkable resemblance to Anakin. We had never- we wed, and then each had our duties in the war. Anakin to the Jedi and myself to the Republic. What lays after...”

Well. The evidence seems to be before her, even if that means... Just what transpires?

He hasn't told her the big thing. He won't. He already knows that, sitting here now, he won't tell her of his father's fate. It seems too cruel to drop that knowledge on someone.

"Yeah. Bail and Breha. I never met them, but they sound like pretty great parents." Leia's only ever spoken of them with love.

He looks at her hand on his and for a moment, he remembers Leia's hand on his after Ben's death. He'd been young and selfish, but her kindness had meant a lot at the time. "I was born at the end of the war. We were. It's weird, I know now that I'm older than Leia, but I always thought I was a couple of days younger until Ben told me the truth." Leia had their actual birthday. Luke, whisked away across the galaxy, had been given one slightly later to further hide them both. "I'm sorry. That you're finding this stuff out from me, here, now."

Padmé would consider Bail to be one of her most trusted friends, as he had been a mentor to her in the beginning. Without him, her story may well have ended beneath the ruins of a demolitioned building, led astray by a over-ridden droid. Yet what need is there for such secrecy? To hide her apparent children and keep them apart, unaware of each other, to tell them nothing at all about each other.

Had something gone terribly wrong with the war? It wouldn't have been the first time that there had been an assassination attempt on her. Had one finally succeeded? Did it mean that her children would also be in danger? Padmé knows that even if the war ended, things would not just magically return to normal. It would take years, if not decades, or longer, to get the Republic functional again.

"Bail is one of the senators that I would trust my own life with." It may have started a little rocky, but only because Padmé had been an unknown, a queen to had come into the senate, demanded action, and then took matters into her own hands. "No. Please. Don't apologize. I always wanted a family, just like my sister, I just-well, never expect a grown son to appear out of the blue."

And not only one child, but two... Her tone is slightly wry, although her features are still soft and welcoming. There's confusion and concern, but there's little she can do about any of that right now. Yet she cannot talk her eyes off of him either, as if he may vanish if she did, as if she may unravel all the events that transpired to lead to him.

Luke gives her a small, sad smile. He can't imagine how this must be for her, even if he's somewhat aware of her emotions. It's weird enough for him, to be sitting here with his mother who is probably only his age.

"I never met him," he admits. "I don't know how much I should say. Or can say. But I never got to meet Leia's parents and she never met Owen and Beru." Both them orphaned twice. "But she's happy now. She's bossing around large numbers of people, including her partner. I don't know if they'll ever get around to marrying but they're for the long term." He can't give Padmé much in the way of good news, but he can give her this. Her daughter is happy. "She really looks a lot like you."

There is so much that she wishes to know, from his first words to his childhood to his hopes and dreams. What was he like as a child? Did she even get to hold him, give him his name? She'd grown up surrounded by the love of her parents and her sister, and to think that any child of hers would barely know anything about her. Her heart aches for that, for what he must have gone through, although Owen and Beru had been generous enough, if a little rough, and Cliegg seemed to have loved Shmi.

"Say only what you want to say, what feels right. I- I won't push you for more than you want to give." Although she would know everything that she could, leaning in a little as he speaks again. It seems that they've both known much hardship, losing those that cared for them more than once. Padmé knows that life isn't always fair, but it is a fierce protectiveness that she has always felt for those close to her. And then he is here as well, trapped with the rest of them, unable to depart. She does find a hint of a smile caressing her face as Luke speaks of Leia, and Force watch out for any child of Anakin and Padmé. They are both headstrong and stubborn in their own ways.

"Does she?" It does make her wonder, mind turning to Sabé, who bore the most striking resemblance to her of all her handmaidens. "You've Anakin's blue eyes and his lighter hair."

There are things he'd share if he knew she'd want to know. But he just has no idea what to say, what she might want to know, what she can't imagine in his life.

But he grins at her comment, head ducking again. "Yeah. Everyone who knew Anakin tells me I look like him. Except the height. Apparently we both got that from your side." Luke had barely reached Vader's shoulder. "Leia's tiny. Really tiny. And terrifying. She had big dark eyes and long dark hair and she's pretty slender." It doesn't really encompass Leia at all, but it's what he has.

"I don't know what to tell you. Most people these days just ask me about the Jedi thing."

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