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duplicitymemes2021-05-08 02:08 am
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2021-05-08 02:08 am
Entry tags:
TDM #18
« « « 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 paper gown 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 quite pleasant for once actually. Sunny and warm. How nice. |
» » » 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. |
« « « BACK ON TRACK
 With the train system up and running again after the damage that was done to it thanks to the Rubies, Duplicity’s Department of Transportation has decided to partner with LIEs and their Orientation program for the next batch of new arrivals being processed at the facility. Their aim is to raise a bit of money to help cover the cost of repairs and much needed construction, and they’ll be enlisting the help of LIERs — whether they want to volunteer their time or not. There aren’t many vehicles in Duplicity, but those who do own cars or even motorcycles are encouraged to take advantage of the warming weather by coming out to get a free washing, courtesy of the city’s first official charity car wash. Should anyone care to make a donation, all proceeds will be going to benefit continuing restoration efforts at the various stations that were impacted by last month’s events. Of course, new LIERs aren’t the only ones invited to volunteer their time and efforts to soaping up some chrome — and there might be some fun perks involved for anyone who pitches in to help get these cars all squeaky clean. |
« « « ZOOM ZOOM
 (cw: aphro, voyeurism, exhibitionism, public humiliation, fluids, coercion, dub-con, transactional sex)Even though Duplicity is a place ripe with debauchery and filth in many regards, that doesn’t mean that those who have the means to own vehicles aren’t inclined to keep them clean. Targeting those who clearly have cash to spare, the car wash in the Up put on by the Department of Transportation is an enticing spectacle to behold, whether one is having their vehicle catered to or not. Volunteers are encouraged to strip down to underwear or a swimsuit and get scrubbing! If they don’t have something skimpy to wear, don’t worry — there are spare hot pants and bikinis to go around. Hoses, buckets, and a variety of colorful liquid soaps have all been provided as well, along with sponges for washing - although using one’s own soaped up body is even better - and towels for drying. Getting all sudsy and wet seems to come with some added effects depending on which soap is used, such as:
Some of these cars are going to get dirtier before they get clean. But who doesn’t love a show? In fact, one of the services offered is a bit of backseat action with the volunteers, anything from riding the gear shift to stationary road head. Car owners may request to have volunteers get it on in the back while they watch via a dashcam set up on the rearview mirror. It may seem counterintuitive considering the point of a car wash is to clean the vehicle, but engaging in such an act could earn a pretty penny for the fundraiser. There are other tasks to do at the car wash aside from, well, scrubbing vehicles with your body. Volunteers are also needed to collect donations, greet those who come to the event, hold signs to advertise and entice passerbys, help direct people where to go, etc. These volunteers are encouraged to wear as little as possible or white clothes, especially if they want to enter the wet t-shirt contest held at the end of the day. All those who participate in the contest will receive tickets for admission to a drive-in movie coming to a parking lot in the near future. |
« « « STATION MASTER
 (cw: public sex)To celebrate the return of regular train service, for a limited time, special cards with a magnetic stripe are handed out to riders. At first, it might be unclear what they’re for, but printed on one side is a list with every station between the Up and the Down. Inquire further and their purpose will become a little more obvious: “check-ins” at each station, with special prizes handed out to the riders who manage to achieve a minimum of five (the most common of these being a complimentary night for them and a plus one, if desired, at the Stay and Play Hotel). However, checking in won’t be quite as simple as a single swipe of one’s card. Scanning the card at any turnstile will offer up a specific sex act that riders must complete, either on the train itself or, if they’re quick, in the station before hopping on. Some acts might only require one person — solo masturbation to orgasm, for example. Others may demand two or even three participants. Better hope you’ve found a riding buddy, or even a possible friendly stranger, because all acts must be completed by the time the train reaches its final stop in the Down before looping back to the Up. |
« « « ESCORT ESCAPADES
 (cw: coercion)Following the recent conflict that took place in the Down, LIEs has begrudgingly ceded control of the lower portion of the city to the Rubies and other gangs. Although some territory, including the public housing for LIERs, remains neutral, the area on the whole is seedier than ever. Thanks to this development, LIEs has decided to pair new Submissives up at Orientation with a Dominant to escort them safely to their housing in the Down. Whether the Dominant is just as green as the Sub they’re escorting or a longtime Duplicity resident, adhering to the buddy system is necessary in these tumultuous times. There may also be a few instances where Submissives are paired with one another and entrusted to the care of a native Dominant to help them to their new place of residence. Regardless of who goes with who, no one is to end up going home alone! Of course, in the spirit of matchmaking, Dominants are encouraged (if the chemistry is right) to spend the night with their Submissive charge, either in the Down or, if the Dominant is feeling generous, back at their place. If they wind up getting it on, both will receive $50 deposited to their bank accounts the next day. Sure, it may not seem like much, but for Submissives especially, who have nothing, it’s better than being empty-handed. |
« « « 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: If your character would rather live in the country or out in nature, they’re a Submissive. If your character is a city slicker or would like to be, they’re a Dominant. 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! Test Drive threads can be used as activity proofs for characters currently in-game. Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have a good time!! |
i'm literally just gonna do whatever i want
so he's vaguely considering finding a bar instead, or something along those lines, and he's wandering while he does it. he doesn't even realise he's wandered right along to the sub public apartments until he's stood outside of it. nick has every intentions of keeping up his momentum, but—
something makes him pause.
he squints a little at the figure walking out, because familiar faces happen to people all the time around here, but it's never happened to him before. it's older than it should be, but he lingers anyway, and suddenly everything feels very intense very quickly, because he feels familiar. nick knows that magic, he can't not. )
Tris?
is that not always the way :,)?
keep movin', buddy, he thinks without looking up, pushing his slim tote bag over his shoulder and reaching down to ruck up his jeans only to touch the familiar vines wrapped around his left ankle. as he unzips the side of the boot and pushes down his sock he can see the small leaves vibrating in the invisible breeze, tickling against his skin, which he scratches aggressively because what a time to play a trick on him. this damn thing must be broken-- ]
That's me, can I help--
[ and then he looks up. and then his jaw slackens. because nicola has the same eyes as this boy who's looking at him from a space that's more lingering than just happenstance. the magic winds instantly around his own, even different, it interacts the same, warms him like the embrace of fingers sliding past knuckles and noses pushed to noses under a thick quilt where they're hotboxing themselves silly after swimming in the cold lake--the name leaves him without consideration for the gender of who it might belong to. ]
Nic...? Nicola?
[ he falls flat on his ass at this point. ]
(⊙‿⊙ ✿)
he's here. nick didn't know how badly he had wanted it until he saw tris stood right in front of him, but his eyes sting and his heart aches and he laughs, takes another couple of steps forward, ready to reach out. at least until tris practically drops like he's been decked. )
Yes?
( because it doesn't sound weird to his ears, when they refer to each other with just about every name that isn't their own. it wouldn't be weird, if tris didn't look confused, and he feels so many steps behind. something is happening right now, and he can't figure out what. )
Don't tell me you forgot me when you swanned off to get your witchy PhD...
( it's supposed to be a joke, light hearted, but nick isn't laughing. )
no subject
No, I just... you...
[ this is nic. nicola. that's her but it's... him? tristan is still trying to figure out this whole multiverse thing. it's been a while since he's had to maneuver his way around it, and even then that was only with regards to other people. he's hardly had much to do with people who weren't from his particular... world.
but.
this.
ooh. oooh, this place is always throwing him for a loop isn't it. he furrows his brow in the way he used to, feels the pinch of stress between his eyeballs like a furrowed knot of pressure and relief releasing all at once as he immediately holds out both of his hands for nic? nick? to take. ]
I couldn't forget my best [ girl ] guy, [ he murmurs. ] But I think we've got to have a talk about... that. [ his heart is thrumming hard in his chest, pounding like it wants free of his sternum because it's nic's magic and his magic is calling to it like a lighthouse beacon through the fog. he didn't expect this. he didn't really want this either. multiverse or no, he gets that people do well here, but... fuck. ]
Let's go somewhere. Private maybe.
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nick takes both of his hands without hesitation and it isn't hard at all to pretend that there's nothing wrong. tris isn't old, there isn't a slight wobble of— something between them. he's just got his best friend back, plain and simple.
it's a delusion, but for a moment there it's a perfect one. )
There's a garden on the roof. I used to hang out there when I first got here, no one ever went up there.
( it's not private, but it's away from the streets and far enough from people that it'll feel like privacy. he's already chewing at the inside of his cheek, vaguely nervous, but he refuses to let go of tris' hand as he leads them both back into the apartment building. if anything he holds tighter. )
You— um...you look different. Older.
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oh god it's nic. nick? he has to ask. ]
I feel even older, dude, believe me. I... this is a lot wow. [ when he laughs, it's soft, breathless. they break through the safety door and out onto the roof where the air is still thick with Duplicity but also there's a strange safety here in being so high up, like a pair of birds looking down.
it happens all at once, tris turning to look at him once more before grabbing his face quickly with ring-decked fingers and staring him square in the eye. his voice is hushed. ] Do you want me to get straight to it and let you ask questions after? [ his touch is firm, but careful, thumbs stroking the rise of nick's stubborn cheekbones, lip doing that nervous twitch he's always been unable to will away. the space beneath his eyes is hot because nick's magic is singing into his skin like something long and lost. ]
no subject
except this doesn't sound anything like panic in tris. nick has seen that, he knows what tris looks like when a situation suddenly becomes very overwhelming and he can't figure a way out of it, and the man stood in front of him is not that. )
I don't—
( want to hear it at all, but that's not actually an answer. nick knows that, even as he wants to laugh giddily at this prolonged joke and tug tris into laughing alongside him. nick's ability to delude himself is astounding, but even he has his limits.
something behind him blooms bright and colourful along with the brush of tris' thumbs over his cheekbones and nick swallows, drops his hands to settle on tris' chest and nods just once. )
Just tell me. You're, like, freaking me out man. This is weird as shit.
no subject
[ he has to preface this that way, his hands shaking now as he presses their foreheads together. nicola is a deep root, the kind that has always flowered in tristan's guts in the sort of way you want an ancient tree to grow. this isn't a matter of "instead", it's a matter of... different, but the same. the same, his roots are exactly the same, strong and deep, twisting with guilt.
he was gone for so long, but this nic... nick... he looks so young still. ]
I'm 27, dude... I... work with the LAPD doing cool crime busting shit and...
[ a breath. ]
At least from my [ wince, this is so not what he wanted to have to do but he hopes it's like a bandaid, quick and painless with a minor rash for a couple of days ] version of our world, you were a girl. So I'm kind of going through the motions here kind of. Realigning and... stuff. [ his hands don't change from where they are, holding nick's face, thumbing at his cheeks softly as he looks at him with tired blue eyes. ] But I missed you, you know that? I missed you a lot. Every goddamn day I wasn't home.
[ i left you still, didn't i? ]
no subject
nick can see that tristan's older, so twenty seven doesn't make him blink. he's always wondered where he might end up, and los angeles is as good a place as any for someone like tris. he really isn't worried until until tris gets to my version, and just like that nick can feel the thud of his pulse hammering away at his wrists, his throat, in his chest.
it doesn't change anything — but how could it not? he said nicola, and it seems stupid to have missed it now. they're so perfectly in tune, but nick can feel it now, the slight waver of a frequency just slightly off where it's supposed to be. )
You're a cop?
( is what he goes with in the end, laughing a little desperately and reaching up to catch hold of tris' wrists. he doesn't care if it's selfish. he doesn't care who this other nick — nic? — is, if they're desperately missing their own tristan. he needs an anchor so badly, he doesn't care that it's supposed to be someone else's. )
You're not. For me, you're— fuck, you're you. Younger, but you're the same.
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I'm like... a ghost cop? Consultant? I can't dress it up, but it pays bills and Luci gets cat food so like I can't complain.
[ he closes his eyes, takes a sharp quick little breath and tries to still the waterworks. nick doesn't need it.
... it's happening anyways. ]
Yeah... yeah, you look like a baby, Nicky, what the fuck. [ this is nic. nick. the same. they're practically overlapping in how he's being grabbed and how their eyes are so sharp and quick and bright. ] How'm I gonna kiss your stupid baby face without feeling like I'm robbing the cradle?
no subject
because he's so, unbelievably, selfishly happy that tristan is here, even though nick knows exactly what that means. even though the last four months have objectively been the worst of his life. even though tristan doesn't belong with him any more than he belongs here, nick is still more relieved every moment he has those palms pressed to his cheeks. they don't even feel familiar any more, not really. not after seven years of absence, but under the surface it's still the same — close, close enough. if that makes him a terrible person, then he doesn't care. )
I'm twenty, you ass— ( wait ) Twenty-one now. You missed my birthday here.
( nick very much feels watery and weepy himself, though it's locked down to just the shine and sting at his eyes as he lets go of tris' wrists. only so he can pat uselessly at his cheeks instead. )
You're not that much older.
no subject
[ he sniffles. this sucks. he looks like a huge baby but the magic humming inside of him is vibrating. it might feel a bit different, no doubt, to nick. it's not heavenly anymore, barely a glimmer, but cool to the touch. still very much tris, but with an almost hollowed out taste to it. ]
Body shots or something. You like those, right?
[ nick lets go and tris surges forward quickly. he's made his decision, always quick about these sorts of things. he refuses to linger if only because lingering begets doubt, which is not what he needs right now, and it isn't what nick needs either. this is his nick, his nicola. the bones are all there, even if they're a bit different. she's in him and he's in her and the differentiation, while it exists, isn't something he's going to bring here unless nicola decides to magically show up one day.
god that'd be.
weird. and scary. and weird.
he swallows before he says what's immediately on his mind, crushes nick to his chest in an instant and bows over him like a too-tall tree. ]
This place sucks, [ he murmurs ] how long have you been here?
no subject
( when nick laughs this time it's wetter, but at least there's some humour in the sound. it is funny, there's always something stupid and funny that he can drag out of a situation and tap into so that he doesn't have to acknowledge just how awful some of them are.
sometimes that's not very effective. sometimes, like now, a very nearly perfect approximation of one of your oldest friends wraps you in a hug that winds you a little, and you can't quite muster a laugh, so instead you cry.
nick doesn't really bother to hide it, just wraps his arms around tris' waist and clings like his life depends on it, hiccuping silently against his chest. nick's only really shaking in his shoulders a little, if his voice didn't waver as he spoke, nick might get away with hiding the tears even without trying. )
It's...Jesus, almost five months.
( he hadn't realised, not before he said it out loud, and nick frowns into tristan's chest at the thought. almost half a year here, already. )
Listen, it sucks, but I know like...people who can help you. You need someone to give you a permission slip to buy shit, I'll sort that out. Um, it's really weird but if you wear a collar the guards leave you alone a little bit.
( there is, after all, a reason nick is never seen in public without one now. )
no subject
[ nick's voice is wet, drawn tight like a steel string, and he strokes along his back slowly, climbs up into his hair like he used to do, it's a familiar motion that stretches across multiverse theory. his nails scritch softly against the nape of nick's neck as he keeps him close, presses the long, straight line of their bodies together, parallel lines that can't touch through clothing. ]
Please... don't worry about me. Maybe it's been a while, but I'm going to see if some of my friends are still around. [ he pulls away, just to see nick's face again, to grab it with his hand by the jaw and turn it this way and that like he's looking for a sign that the city has done him wrong as if nick isn't keeping it locked up tight. nick and nic--this isn't difficult, it's just different. ]
But honestly... [ a breath ] ... it's really overwhelming to be back. Shit's different. Not that different, but. [ softer, warmer, closer ] I'm really glad you found me. This is the most unexpected fucking thing but I've never been more grateful.
[ tris is cheesy like that as he pushes his lips to the top of nick's head, then again to his nose. stubborn. his cheeks. it's been so goddamn long in his world, and by the sounds of it, it's been a while for nick too. so he provides. ] You got a dom yet? Someone who can take care of you? [ the "besides me" is implied. there's only so much tristan can do as a submissive. ]
no subject
( the last piece of the puzzle slides into place — he's heard all of this from others in the city, the same people disappearing and cropping back up, the timelines, multiverses, all of that. so the theory makes sense to him at least, even though he's never paid too much attention to the details. nick isn't the kind that wants to understand this place, he just wants to survive.
it already feels easier to do that with fingers pressed into the back of his neck, a motion so familiar his body already knows how to respond to it. some of the tension unknots in nick's shoulders before he even notices that he's wound taut and ready to snap. )
I missed you, so fucking much. ( and he can't feel guilty about that for very long, not when tris is ducking these light little kisses all over his face and it he lets it, it almost feels like they're just eighteen and stupid again.
something a little left of embarrassment colours his cheeks at the mention of dominants and he nods, quick and dismissive. it's not like he's never going to bring- some things up, he just thought he might be able to get away with a few more moments without addressing the messy interwoven web of a personal life he leads. ) Yeah, yeah. I uh— live with him, near the beach. And a job too, if you can believe it.
no subject
[ he lets his hands rest softly on the sides of nick's shoulders, where neck meets. he gives a warm squeeze, doesn't demand to know who it is he's living with. while nick, historically nic, doesn't always make the best life choices, the worst thing to do would be to pry and step all over it ten seconds into arriving and (re)uniting. this whole multiverse thing is... complicated.
he's gotta talk to gwen about this. in the meantime, it feels good, has the anxiety coiling in his belly slowly unwinding from around his guts. he presses his lips to the top of nick's head.
stupid, even his hair smells the same. ]
What're you doing for work? Look, sorry for 20 questions, I'm just... [ he tilts his head ] I wanna catch up.
no subject
( it's so easy to fall back into a familiar rhythm. there's another nick — nic — out there that's supposed to be the one getting this, but nick is just selfish enough not to care. he pulls himself in again, crushes another hug into tris' chest, takes a few deep breaths and teeters on the edge of laughing and crying again.
it's been awful, without them all here.
even when he eases up in increments, nick doesn't go far. his arms loosen but he doesn't let go of tris entirely — won't, actually, looping his arms loosely around his waist and drumming nonsense patterns with his fingertips into his back. there's so much he needs to tell him, the stuff he wants to and the things that he definitely doesn't, that it all buzzes around the back of his mind, makes it hard to focus—
right. job. )
Oh, you wouldn't believe it, I'm selling here too. This guy has a witch shop, so I sell through him, help with the potions, that sort of stuff. It's down here actually, the theatre