duplicitymemes | TDM #19

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«tdm

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

"Ya got that right. You new?" There had been a sudden influx of new faces lately and McCoy wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not. Really no one being in the city was a good thing, but with more people, maybe someone else from home would show up. That was . . . maybe a little appealing. McCoy felt guilty for the wish, but more familiar faces would sure be great!

He stuck out his hand, "McCoy."

Peter nods. "At least, I assume so. I don't remember having been here before." Wherever 'here' is. He's really thinking he should've taken the stairs, but he'd had the obviously flawed idea that the elevator would be faster.

He meets the guys hand. "Peter." Tilts his head. "McCoy a last name or a first name?" He doesn't want to assume and be wrong - that's just awkward.

"Seems like a good guess then. I don't remember seein you before either." He gave the kid a good shake, firm and authoritative. McCoy like shaking hands, or shaking appendages anyway. Wasn't always a hand he shook. He grinned at the kid. Smart, real smart.

"Full name's Leonard H. McCoy but most people go with McCoy. Leonard is a little much. And definitely not Lenny. That'll get you a pop in the mouth." He was mostly joking. Very few people ever dared to try and use that nickname, it was the other one a lot of people attempted.

"Oh, so you're not new then?" Peter hasn't been here long enough to really be able to tell the difference yet.

He makes a face. "You definitely don't look like a 'Lenny'," he says. "So McCoy it is, until you tell me something else.

"And, uh, since you're less new here and we have some time to kill thanks to Murphy's elevator here, can you - you know - tell me what this place is? And why we're here? What's going on? That kind of thing."

"Not as new as you, no. But I haven't been here all that long either. Trust me, even just being here for a coupla days feels like you been here years." WHich was a shame. McCoy hated finding someone so young stuck in the city. He sighed when the questions he'd been dreading came and slumped into the far corner of the elevator, resting his head against the wall.

"Depends on how open your mind is kid. You believe in time travel? And alternate universes? If you don't, this is gonna be really really hard to get a handle on."

It's okay, it'll go with all of the other things he shouldn't have already had to deal with. "Ugh," is his initial response. Days that feel longer than they are? No fun.

Wanna see a science nerd go from nervous and sort of shy to interested in less than a second? "Wait - are you saying that's what this is? An alternate universe accessed through time travel?" That doesn't make the place suck any less. It would just make it a little more interesting.

McCoy blinked in surprise at the interest, and the intelligence, "Yeah. I mean, sorta?" He sat up straight and started to use his hands as he spoke, a habit he didn't even notice, "Ok, so I figure this place is an alternate reality run by a buncha beings who have the power to target individuals and swipe 'em from wherever they really belong. Not sure why they want us specifically, but I'm thinkin it's a genetic thing. For some reason they want our genes for . . . somethin." He waved a hand dismissively. The less talk of sex the better.

"The thing is, not everyone comes from the same time. Even from the same world. Like Jim. He got here a coupla months before me and come to find out, he's from years in the past!" McCoy threw his hands up in the air, "Years! He's missed so much and now he wants me to tell him everything he missed!" He shook his head, slumping back against the wall again.

"Still not sure how much it's safe to tell him, plus some of it's really . . . not happy. But boy does he wanna know. Can't blame him really, but screwin up a timeline seems like a really dumb idea . . ." The other Spock certainly didn't seem forthcoming about much of anything.

"They... stole us from - okay." That's... fucked up. And weird. And did we mention fucked up? He narrows his eyes a little at McCoy. "I'm guessing they're not doing blood draws." Older adult types have this weird tendency to think 'sex' is a dirty word the second someone under thirty comes around. He's a little shy, and slow with recognizing the flirty, not stupid.

Back to the science though, he nods. "Yeah. It's possible that if someone in the pasts learns about their future, they could, in theory, change things. Or worse." You know, theoretically. "I can see wanting to know what happens, but there's no way to know what would happen if someone had that information, you know? But, from what Dr. Banner says, apparently time traveling is like part of the same timeline. So, if you go back to somewhere in your past, you can't change what was your present, because you in the past is your new future and if that changed your present then that wouldn't be your present anymore because your new future changed it." Which isn't confusing AT ALL.

"Well, it's a theory. I'm not positive, but it tracks pretty well with what I've found so far. I mean, how else, and why, could they pinpoint individuals the way they clearly are? A need for specific genetics is really the only reasonable explanation. If it was personal, they wouldn't be taking people from different times and realities, everyone would be from the same world and period."

That was just logic really. It was possible the city worked on a completely different platform, but logically McCoy's theory worked. He winced when the kid mentioned other ways to get genetic samples though. McCoy didn't like talking about sex with people his own age, with someone younger than him it was just torture. So he ignored it for the moment. It wasn't a direct question!

"Dr. Banner? That someone from home, or here? Because if he's here I'd really like to talk to him. And yeah, that's about what I figured, for the most part. The problem is that Jim's from the past, I'm from the future. The stuff I'd be telling him hasn't happened yet, so he wouldn't be going back in time to make changes, he'd be going forward. If stuff happens the same, anything I say that he retains after leaving here would let him change what's now my past. I mean, I wouldn't mind all those terrible things not happenin, but god. How can I tell him all that awful stuff? It'll make him hurt so much . . ." McCoy put on a good show of being gruff and rude, but deep down he cared deeply about his friends and crew.

"Given the whole 'wake up naked in a strange room' thing, you're probably right. At least on the part about snatching people from their home worlds." He wrinkles up his nose. "You know, you'd think a group or race or whatever with tech to drag people from their worlds would have tech to fix whatever their issue is, right? Like, what would they need external sources for if they're that advanced? Are they just bored?"

He could start asking lots of direct questions - is McCoy sure he wants to go that route?

"Uh, he's from home." That's still weird. "That doesn't mean he isn't here - though, I'm maybe kinda hoping he's not." He doesn't really want his friends to be here, but he also kinda does so he's not entirely alone. "Right, right - and you can't even assume that you and your friend Jim are from the same timeline. Given the multiverse and all. But, yeah, anything you might tell him about what could happen between his time and yours could really mess things up. And not just for you."

"You would think that. And some of their medical tech is amazing, and then there's things like real goddamned stitches! Who uses stitches but can bring people back from the dead?" It really made no sense if you thought about it. Regenerative technology and then stitches. No sense!

"Oh. And yeah, I get that. I have Jim here, but part of me wishes he was back home where he belongs. It's . . . complicated. At least a lot of people in this place are pretty decent. It's not hard to make friends." Even for someone who's old and grumpy and resistant to the idea of reaching out to people. McCoy sighed and nodded, shoving a hand through his hair, "Yeah. I mean, everything else about our worlds tracks, so I really think he's on the same timeline, which is seriously good/bad. I hafta be super careful what I say and I dunno if anything is too much or not enough. I told him a little, but only a little. And it was more warnings than anything else. Names to look out for mostly. That . . . that shouldn't be too dangerous, right?"

McCoy was a doctor, not a theoretical physicist, so time travel wasn't his forte. But he tried. He knew it was possible in his world since they had the other Spock, but he didn't really get how it would work backwards. Usually, people went back to change things, they didn't go forward and do it.

"Uh - wow. Okay. Revive the dead, but still need stitches? Yup - I'm as confused as you and I come from somewhere we still use stitches, but can't bring back the dead." If they could, he's got a few people he'd like to have back, thanks.

He presses his lips together, thinking. "Well, we're getting a little..." lot... "out of my level on the theoretical physics, but if you're only giving names and not details about the names, you're probably okay. Like, if someone went back and told, like, FDR that this jerk, Hitler, was gonna be a real problem some day, maybe FDR makes a couple different decisions when that names pops up - things he maybe waited on in the existing timeline. And it makes some little changes and things are still fine. That's probably okay. But if someone runs into FDR's office in 1935 and says 'look, there's this guy coming who is going to ruin everything, you need to send someone to take him out now' and someone goes to kill Hitler - that could make a BIG mess in the timeline and make things way worse." McCoy's just gonna have to get used to the rambling. It's a thing.

"Oh! Stephen King wrote a book kinda about this. 11.22.63 about the Kennedy assassination. The main character goes through this weird time blip thing back to like 1960 and decides to wait out the three years until the assassination to see if he can stop it. The problem is, as he gets closer to the actual date and he starts trying to change things, the timeline starts to get really cranky and throws things in the way to make his attempts harder. So, like little stuff, the timeline shrugs off, but big things, it starts putting up roadblocks because changing big stuff can hurt the timeline. Like - Chaos Theory gone wild." He doesn't even realize he does this sometimes. He just gets started and it keeps going.

That was pretty typical, he was finding. As McCoy talked to other people, he learned that a lot of worlds didn't have anywhere near the tech his did. No space travel definitely, and the medical advances were . . . sad. It was depressing, learning so many people still suffered things his world had pretty much eradicated.

He nodded as the kid talked. It was still surprising to someone who knew what he was talking about in the first place and one who could carry on a real conversation on the subject? It was pretty damned impressive! And Peter had good insights, which really made him wonder if the kid didn't have first-hand knowledge, "You've done this before, haven't you? The time travel thing? What happened back home Peter?"

"Me? Uh - no. I haven't done the time travel thing. I know some people who did, but they did it so they could find stuff they needed to undo a thing that had happened." Which is super vague, but who is gonna believe 'This big purple alien made half of all life in the universe disappear, including me, then a bunch of superheroes time traveled to find magic rocks so they could bring everything back.' If Peter hadn't lived (not-existed) through that, he probably wouldn't believe it.

"But, more than that, I really like science. My main focus is chemistry, but I dip into physics too. And the places where those two overlap." This is still probably the weirdest conversation scenario.

McCoy would have been surprisingly understanding with Peter's story. He'd certainly seen stuff that was at least that odd. He listened with real interest as Peter talked about the people he knew who had traveled in time, "How did they do it? I mean, how did they go back and return home? And how did takin stuff from the past not mess up the future?"

He lit right up when Peter mentioned chemistry, "I love chemistry! And all science really. Doctor and all that, but science is just the best! You plan to be a chemist when you grow up?" It wasn't meant to be insulting, but it might come across that way. McCoy would apologize if it did insult the kid.

"I'm not super sure on all the details, but something with traveling through the Quantum Realm and picking specific points in the past to travel to using a sort of 'time/space GPS' thing that Mr. Stark made. I... wasn't there. I kinda of didn't even exist at the time, so I just had to get the info later." Meaning, he read the reports he could get access to and asked questions of the people he could talk to. "From what I understand, Captain Rogers used the time machine thing to put all the things back where they came from so that it didn't mess up the timeline. I don't know all of the science to explain it much deeper than that, but supposedly they did what they needed to do."

He grins a bit - hard to do here... they are still trapped in a broken elevator that doesn't really seem to be on the road to being fixed. "Science is awesome! It explains everything. Um - I dunno that I'll be a straight up chemist. I kinda want to work for Mr. Stark's company in some capacity. I'm sure I'll figure something out." He could probably work for Stark Industries right out of high school, but he should probably do college at least.

"But wouldn't that still . . . hmm." McCoy fell silent, thinking. Even if they returned things, wouldn't that still have meant they were missing in their timelines for a while? And wouldn't that have repercussions into the future, thus making their plan invalid because things would have changed? Even if the stuff got put back, there's be that period . . . ugh. McCoy hated thinking about time travel!

He grabbed the chance to talk science with both hands, "It is and it does! Science is my religion!" It really was, "Who's Mr. Stark and what does he do? I mean, what would do for him?"

"Dr. Banner said that if they went back to put the items back at the exact time they took them from, then it doesn't mess with things. This is the simplified version based on what I was told." He doesn't really know how the timeline isn't messed up.

He laughs a little at the religion declaration. But it falters a little after that. "Mr. Stark... was a friend." He misses him a lot. "He had this big company - his wife is the CEO. He - he was really smart and made a whole lot of super cool stuff. Like, mechanical engineering and A.I. systems." Among many many other things. And he shrugs. "I dunno what I'd do there. I'm sure there's lots of really interesting things I could do."

"I guess that tracks. If they went back the second they left, there wouldn't be time in the past for things to change. I guess. This isn't exactly my area of expertise. I try to avoid messing with things like time. Nothing good comes of it." The other Spock wasn't terrible, aside from being Spock, but the other people who'd come through had been pretty awful.

Shit. Oh shit. McCoy hadn't meant to depress the kid! He got up and moved over, sitting next to Peter, and slid an arm around his shoulders, "Hey, hey I'm sorry. I'm sorry Peter. I didn't mean to bring up a sad memory. I'm sure you'd be great at his company. I bet his wife hires you the second you apply!" There was respect there, a lot of it, and enough grief to tell him there wasn't a fight separating them but death. The way he talked sounded too permanent for anything else.

"I'm sorry . . ."

"Some good comes of it," he counters. Mostly because he wouldn't be existing if those people hadn't 'messed with time'. He wouldn't necessarily argue that was always the case.

"It's okay," he says. No way McCoy could've known. "I - I didn't even realized I still missed him this much," he says quietly. It's probably because he's been dragged into some weird place away from... everything.

"Yeah? Then good. All the stuff with time travel in my world is hell, but I'm glad it worked out for you guys. I'm glad it was the right choice." And he was. McCoy would never mess with it himself, but he was happy it had worked for Peter and his friends.

He gave the kid's shoulders a squeeze and couldn't help thinking how young Peter was. It hurt his heart to see that grief in him, "You wanna tell me about him, what happened? We can change the subject if it's easier, but he sounds like a good man. If you liked him that much, he musta been worth knowing." And sometimes it hurt less when you talked to someone about a loss.

He's real quiet for a bit. The two things kinda go together. "He's why the time travel worked." And that wasn't even the biggest thing. "It's been... almost a year since he saved - the universe really, but the world." And him. His voice gets smaller. "It killed him." A breath. "Radiation. A lot of it." He really thought he'd gotten past most of this. He had that whole talk with Happy and everything. He pushes a hand back over his hair. "Sorry," he whispers and tries not to sniffle.

McCoy stiffened. He couldn't help it! The way the man died was just like . . . "I'm so sorry Peter. I'm so sorry. Jim died that way. I . . . He's our captain, back home. He's here too but from the past. He's the one I was talking about. But a few years ago he . . . he . . ." Now it was McCoy fighting tears as he hugged Peter's shoulders, trying to offer comfort as well as take some. The poor kid . . .

"He sacrificed himself to save the ship. To save us all. Went into the core and . . . and took way more radiation than even our advanced tech could deal with. He died too." He died. The Jim in the city wasn't the Jim from his time, this younger Jim hadn't made that sacrifice yet, hadn't suffered all those losses. And he couldn't stand to tell the man what was in store. McCoy sniffled himself, swiping at his face with his free hand.

"We got lucky. We got lucky as all hell. That bastard's blood saved him, brought him back from death even though it shoulda been impossible. That's the only reason I've still got him. Because we had that bastard and his god damned blood. I'm so sorry I'm not from your world Peter. I'm so god damned sorry . . ." He hugged the boy tighter, sick at the knowledge he could have saved that Mr. Stark for the kid if he only had some of that blood. Well, and lived in Peter's world . . .

He leans his head against McCoy's shoulder. Sure, he just met this guy, but Peter doesn't get the sense that he's being a manipulative dick. "We... didn't. He - I - I was right there. I saw it happen. I - I was maybe four feet away." A pause. "You know, when he went." It was painful. And much too close to the loss of his uncle.

"I... wish I could have done... something. Anything." He sighs a little. "He did so much for me and I feel like I didn't do anything." He isn't usually this morose - he doesn't know what's going on. Stress, probably.

He nodded, letting the boy talk. It helped, saying the words. It helped. It also hurt, so very much, but sharing the grief also helped, "He was behind a glass door, at the end. We had to w-watch him. Inches away. We were inches away. And his body was so radioactive we couldn't . . . " He swallowed several times and just hugged Peter.

"Most of the time, we don't get a miracle. Most of the time, we gotta say goodbye and it hurts. It hurts so much when we love 'em that much. But it does get easier. Over time. With other friends. You just . . . you just try to remember the good, you know? All the good they did, all the good they made us feel." He started to stroke Peter's hair absently, as he did with Luke when the guy wanted to get cuddly. It was soothing for him, and hopefully for Peter too.

"We've lost a lot of people over the years, and it never gets easier. But we do have the good memories. We'll always have that. And your Mr. Stark sounds like one of the best."

take the stairs

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