duplicitymemes | TDM #19

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TDM #19

« « « 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. ...At least, this would normally be the case.

Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new and old arrivals.

The weather is stormy and miserable. There's flooding. Quite a bit of it.

» » » VIRTUAL VOYAGE

(cw: voyeurism, privacy violations)

Ordinarily, new arrivals to Duplicity are sent on a tour of the city by train, but with the tracks currently underwater this month's tour is a little different. Instead they will assemble in a conference room on the third floor of the Orientation Center and watch a video that highlights the many beautiful locations of the Up, such as White Wall Bridge, Fiddler's Square, and North Park, complete with cheesy voiceover. The video also displays some… less beautiful landmarks in the Down, though that segment is shorter and much less complimentary.

After the video concludes, it's time for the interactive portion of the tour! Tablets will be handed out, though there aren't enough for everyone so some people will have to share. These tablets are set up with a program allowing characters to look through various cameras in public areas around the city. They can click from one camera view to the next to explore or tap the 'randomize' button and see where they end up. There seems to be a glitch with the latter feature, however, that enables it to tap into camera feeds that aren't part of the carefully curated tour path. Security cameras in the lobbies and hallways of apartment buildings, hidden cameras in hotel rooms, webcams, and even the cameras on the communication devices that they all carry — any of these might pop up amidst the regular street views. Characters may suddenly find themselves a silent third party to a video call or spying on another LIER in an intimate moment. The question is, will they keep watching or click away?

« « « SOGGY SLEEPOVER

Due to the ongoing watery crisis, temporary accommodations have been arranged for until new arrivals are able to move into their assigned housing. Officials explain that the Submissive housing in the Down is partially flooded out and that the Dominant building in the Up, while not faring nearly as badly, has been experiencing electrical issues. As the apartments available to new Dominants are mainly on higher floors, this means an exhausting climb when the power goes out. In either case, the situation is not ideal.

For now, Submissives are given blankets and sleeping bags in a hastily cleared-out hotel ballroom. There's plenty of floor space to spread out, but little else with which to create a sense of privacy. An adjoining set of restrooms provides the basic facilities (including a lube dispenser!) though a bath in the sink is as good as it gets for hygiene. Several room service carts loaded with bottled water and suggestively-named cheap pre-packaged snacks are refilled twice daily at meal times. If the Submissives sheltering here wish to better their circumstances, well, perhaps they should find a Dom to shack up with and sign a contract.

Dominants each get a room to themselves, though LIEs haven't exactly sprung for the fanciest accommodations. Five star? Not even close. The rooms are small and garishly decorated, with minimal amenities. There's a tv on the dresser that only gets five channels — four of which are porn and the remaining channel is local news and weather. (No matter which channel you're watching, the immediate forecast is: wet.) At least they have a full bathroom. The hotel isn't serving food, but a few complimentary meal vouchers for a nearby restaurant can be found on the nightstand along with a 'sexy' welcome basket consisting of lube packets and a cheap vibrating dildo. All Dominants are strongly encouraged to visit the emergency Submissive shelter and rescue a Sub in need. PSAs featuring sad stock photos will be sent to their devices as a reminder.

« « « TAKE THE STAIRS

(cw: aphro, dub-con)

With the steadily rising water and heavy rain, Duplicity’s utilities are feeling the strain of being increasingly waterlogged. The city is dotted with pockets of temporary power outages lasting a few hours at a time. It’s concerning, but there isn’t much city officials and engineers can do about their soaked infrastructure. All they can do is try to manage the blackouts and pray that a citywide one doesn’t befall the Up and Down.

The area where the Orientation Center is situated is unfortunately prone to losing power, and those characters who decide to take the elevator instead of the stairs while attending Orientation may find themselves stopped in the dark with the doors sealed shut. The emergency system kicks in after a minute with dim red lighting and a voice over the intercom tells those trapped to keep calm. In addition to the emergency lights, a recording of smooth jazz will play over the intercom and air laced with a special blend of aphrodisiac will filter into the enclosed space. One last message over the intercom from whoever is on the other end reassures the stuck parties that the main power should be back on in an hour and in the meantime they should relax.

So, what will you do with your trapped elevator buddy? You may find yourself wanting to sit next to them and open up about your feelings. Maybe you're feeling blabby, ready to get some things off your chest, or maybe you're more touchy-feely and you'd prefer to let your body do the talking. You have time, so why not take comfort in one another while waiting for the power to resume?

« « « GET WET

(cw: aphro, altered mental states, dub-con, exhibitionism)

With the water level now at an all time high and with no sign of stopping, the locals are trying to avoid going out in it as much as possible. This need to stay dry (or at least not wade through murky water on the streets) has created quite a few job opportunities for those looking to make a quick buck. Whether it’s helping transport someone on a makeshift raft by pushing them slowly through the street or delivering food and other orders to customers, the demand is there.

New arrivals will be offered these gigs, regardless of designation. Whether they decide to take on the jobs is up to them, but the incentive to do so includes an offer of better accommodations in a penthouse suite of Somass Hotel for those who provide the best service. It’s certainly an upgrade compared to the other lodgings that are available.

Of course, there’s good reason the locals want to stay as dry as possible, aside from the annoyance of soggy clothes and pruney fingers. The murky water is contaminated with run-off chemicals from the waterlogged storm drains, that, with extended exposure, may cause irrational and impulsive behavior, especially with regards to sex. Get in an argument? Better fuck to make up. Want to bargain for a deal? Use your body. See someone whose rain boots are pretty stylish? Compliment them by offering yourself. Cause a problem with sex? Solve it with… even more sex.

There’s also an even more unexpected side effect that’s cropped up - the urge to sing and dance in the rain, as if putting on an impromptu burlesque show. Wet clothes will be shed and tossed aside in the fervor of the act, baring it all to the elements and whatever audience might’ve formed in the process to watch the spectacle.

« « « 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 can swim well and independently, they’re a Submissive. If your character cannot swim at all or needs assistance (flotation device), 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!!

» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

((OOC: It's hard to find info on Cal's exact age but the overall consensus appears to be 17-18. So I'm going to decide he's 18.))

A. Soggy Sleepover

[ It may be that Cal has been through plenty of things more harrowing than this, but that doesn't mean that being unceremoniously stripped and examined like that is in any way a pleasant experience. To then have all his stuff taken and be left with nothing but see-through clothes? Doesn't matter that they promise to return his things, it still makes him very uneasy. And while he's never exactly been self-conscious about the way he looks, that doesn't mean he likes the idea of everyone seeing him naked.

So when he's given the blanket and sleeping bag, he immediately wraps the blanket around himself with a scowl in the direction of the native that gave them to him - even if his current state isn't really their fault - before he walks further into the room to find a spot to put his sleeping bag down.

Once he's decided on a spot, he looks at one of his temporary neighbours and offers a somewhat awkward smile. ]

Hi.

[ Do you hate this as much as I do because I hate this. ]

B. Get Wet

[ The see-through waterproof clothes he was given at his arrival are at least useful for the fact that they're waterproof. It's not perfect, but it keeps the water out for a decent amount of time. He's also clearly going to need to make money fast, and he's never much liked sitting still.

And what better way to learn about this place than to meet a bunch of different people?

If you squint or pay attention, it might seem like this particular raft is going a little faster than most others you've seen. Maybe this guy is just stronger than he looks. Maybe you're trying to wade through the street or maybe you're hanging at the exit or in the window of a building wondering whether it's worth it to go outside, when this Jedi Knight in ... shining plastic and blue rough-looking clothes that look vaguely like a construction worker or mechanic might wear them, slows to a stop beside you. ]

Need a ride?

C. Network, video, un: scrapper

[ It takes a few days for Cal to be convinced that the Empire isn't going to instantly swoop down on him as soon as he makes himself known in any way. What finally convinces him is the fact that there are no spaceports. For a city this big to not have a spaceport? There's a lot going on here that he doesn't know enough about.

And if the Empire were to find him, well ... He can deal with that problem then.

He's still in the temporary hotel ballroom lodgings, and that's where he is when he records this. The lack of privacy hardly matters. ]

Hi, everyone. I'm Cal. Got here a few days ago. It's a little, uh ... You know, I think they could have cleaned up a bit before inviting people over.

[ He makes a grimace that's almost a smile, and shakes his head. ]

I'd like to know how long you've been here if anyone wants to share. And if there's someone out there who knows me, I'd like to know you're here. So. That's all.

Edited 2021-07-11 20:26 (UTC)

[ Kate's been very slowly wading through the waist-high water in a particularly flooded intersection with a box of supplies for those that have been relocated from the community center. She came prepared with plastic and latex to keep the water off of her skin, but only if she takes her sweet time. ]

Actually, yeah. [ She lifts up her sunglasses to get a better look at the Good Samaritan offering up a ride. ] Thank you.

[ Carefully, she rests the box up on the raft and offers up her hand for a little help on the raft. ]

[ While holding the stick he uses to push the raft in one hand, he crouches down to take her hand and pull her onboard. It wobbles threateningly for a moment at the added weight, but he doesn't straighten up until it's stopped. ]

Where you headed?

The Community Center. Been there before? [ If not, she should be able to direct him; it's only a handful of blocks away. ]

You must be pretty popular these days.

[ She's a little disappointed she hadn't thought of it. It'd be good money. Then again, Kate can't imagine she'd do very well trying to navigate a barge. She's capsize more often than not. ]

Negative. You'll have to show me.

[ He grins a little to himself, as he grips the stick with both hands, ready for directions. ]

I've had plenty of customers, yeah. At least it's a good kind of popular for a change.

[ Purge troopers eagerly swarming you every chance they get definitely doesn't actually count as popular, and she won't exactly get the joke, but he thinks he's a little funny. ]

Cal Kestis // Star Wars // Submissive

Get Wet (Dominant)

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video: un: amidala

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Get Wet

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sleepover

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Network; un: runningscams

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b. Get Wet

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video; un: mandalor

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