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duplicitymemes2018-10-14 04:38 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2018-10-14 04:38 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #2
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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. 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 highrise. 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. Either way it's raining! Still. Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new arrivals. |
 The day after stepping through the door and participating in orientation, LIERS are assembled together in the Up for a tour of Duplicity in its entirety. 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. |
 The rain continues to drizzle, but it’s finally slowing enough for the citizens of Duplicity to catch their breath. With the influx of new LIERS, people make quick work of fixing the damages from Tumenalia—a combination of preparation and wanting to welcome more participants to orientation. Typically, travel between the Up and the Down is rather seamless with the use of the elevators, and with the end of the holiday comes a regular schedule for transportation between the two areas of Duplicity. Yet, mysterious powers are at play once again. Or so it seems. Stepping onto the elevators does not deliver its occupants to their desired location; instead, they are ushered into rooms designed to be escaped. There are a variety of themes, but the most popular seem to be Room A, Room B, and Room C. While they follow the usual guidelines for any escape room, there are a few “catches” that might not be noticeable at first. Each clue is only accessible to those of the corresponding designation. Submissives are responsible for unlocking the first and third of the three clues, and even if a Dominant figures out what it is and how to use it, they will not be any closer to escaping unless the Submissive plays a key role in interacting with these clues. Things to note about these rooms: the third clue requires some sort of sexual engagement to be considered “clear” of it. After the allotted time of one (1) hour, if those inside haven’t managed to escape, the Submissives will be removed from the room and the Dominants will remain until they can successfully help the new Submissives escape the room. Each time, the clues will be reset and change; they will never be the same. |
 Meanwhile, in the Down, a local charity organization has sent out notices for a black-tie fundraiser to be held during the evening to raise awareness of homeless Submissive children. Invitations are sent via the devices, and there are even fliers posted all across the Up and the Down. If in attendance of the event, the waitstaff will be taking down the names of all uncontracted Submissives; no other explanation of what it’s for is mentioned throughout the evening. And while donations are completely voluntary, any contributions made helps to further the main endeavor of the cause. However, it seems most people are present to network and find someone that might fill a contract slot. So, eat, drink, and dance until it all winds down and everyone decides to go home. The only “catch”? Dominants draw the name of one Submissive to accompany them back to the Up, and those who are left will be paired up for the sake of no one leaving alone. |
Please read carefully. Dominant and Submissive TDM assignments: All characters whose first name begins with the following ( A, C, E, G, I, K, M, O, Q, S, U, W, and Y ) are Dominants. All characters whose first name begins with the following ( B, D, F, H, J, L, N, P, R, T, V, X, and Z ) are Submissives. Players with characters that are a number use the first letter to spell that number. To use this TDM as a door pass please link this on your app and place whether it is dominant or submissive. For the escape room prompt players can make up the clues they find. They may be extremely sexual or something simple like moving a painting off a wall. Also, any locations throughout Duplicity are available for TDM prompts as well! Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
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[ This seems to be a baldfaced lie, except it is a lie that he apparently believes. ] I find myself inconvenienced.
[ Although for someone so terribly inconvenienced, he is largely fine: without his armor but dressed well, clean, fed. Food and means are provided in the room, if nothing else, when the session becomes this...drawn out.
He meets her teasing with a flat frown. ] Are you going to cooperate or not?
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[She isn't quite laughing at him, but her sideways glance as she steps fully into the room and pats her skirt into place is incredibly telling. The young woman is taking quite a bit of amusement out of his situation.]
Well, I suppose that depends entirely on whether or not you can be polite, now doesn't it?
[Her hands clasp behind her back as she turns towards him, rocking onto the toes of her worn boots as she meets his scowl with an almost blinding grin.]
Maybe if you try saying please it might help?
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It is in fact five full minutes before he speaks again. ]
Please.
[ There it is.
Followed by: ] Must I explain the rules or are you already aware of how this room operates?
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[In the weighty silence while Estinien had been stewing, Aerith had been amusing herself by investigating all the interesting and strange equipment in the room. It seemed more like a torture chamber than anything else, yet she couldn't help but snoop a little out of interest. Yet when the dragoon finally cracks, she turns away from the spreader bars she'd been turning over in her hands, setting it aside in an instant to nearly skip to his side, her smile once more in place.]
I think I've got the gist of it, something about us solving a puzzle together to escape the room, isn't it? Sounds like fun to me, unless you'd rather try it alone some more?
[For a moment she seems to mirror his glare with startling accuracy before it's once again replaced with her gleeful smile. She's having too much fun playing with him already, and it likely doesn't bode well for him.]
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He'd thought her yet another vapid, hurrying-to-please member of the city; his gut now tells him it is not so. The hairs on the back of his neck prickle, standing on end, and everything shows in his stance, rather than his icy expression: how he turns to face her, how his eyes follow her, how he watches her hands.
Be wary, his instincts say, which seems foolish, considering her bright-eyed cheerfulness. ] ...no.
It can't be done alone.
Some of the clues must be activated by you; the first and the last. The second must be performed by me.
[ ... ]
I have only reached as far as the second clue.
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That does sound exciting! So what have you found so far, then? I promise I'll carry you off to victory without too much trouble.
[A playful wink before she glances to one of the cages hanging from the ceiling, idly wondering why there would be something like that in a room that was so obviously trying to be a sexy version of a dungeon.]
You know...
[He's so tall she has to crane her neck to look up at him, her eyes still sparkling with mirth as she studies his severe expression that seems all too familiar.]
I don't bite.
[A pause, and she looks away as her grin grows in spite of herself. Honestly, she can hardly resist.]
At least not unless you want me to.
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Frown.
Frown.
Frown -
Like most Elezen, when he flushes, if he flushes at all, he does so in the region of his ears. And there it be, a faint red dusting, one that he dismisses with a wave of his hand. ]
We can discuss such things once we have an avenue of escape.
[ He is no fool, he knows what this room is for -
It just took him until the second hour to realize. It had added to his rage. ]
What I've found is that the clues change with every participant, but that they follow certain patterns. The first will be a key built into the room.
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Oh? And here I thought you'd be too stiff for that! Seems like you can be the fun type after all, how exciting!
[She clasps her hands, her grin as delighted as the laughter that escapes her, though it's hard to tell if she's being serious or merely teasing him to see if she can make that red spread past the tips of his ears to color his pale cheeks.]
Ohhh, that does sound exciting. Well, if it's actually shaped like a key, that shouldn't be too hard then.
[Clapping her hands together, she spins in place, her dress flaring about her knees as she takes in the room with a glance.]
Now, if I were a key, where would I be hiding...?
[Already she seems intent to scour the counters and shelves, standing on her tiptoes in order to peer into the cages suspended from the ceiling.]
So, if I find it before you do, what do I get? Might as well make a game of it so we're not completely bored to tears until we find all the clues, right?
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Nevertheless, he does have something to throw himself into, namely the finding of their clues, which can let him ignore the laughter dancing in her eyes or the delight that curls on pink lips. He focuses instead on scanning the room, the eyes narrowed as he reiterates what he has learned so far. ]
It will be hidden in a painting, window, or art piece in such a way that only you will be able to see it. A race is pointless; I can't find the key without your aid.
[ Guess how sour that makes him feel. ]
But what I can find a special keyhole that it unlocks. That is my job, yours is to locate the key.
[ He has been bored to tears for three hours already; he's got this on lockdown. ]
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Are you always as prickly as a cactuar, or only when you're so grumpy?
[Still, even with the teasing, she's already shifted her focus, running her fingers along the edge of the windows as her brows furrow with a surprisingly intense stare. Her lips purse and her nose wrinkle in displeasure whenever she doesn't find what she's looking for, but she moves on quickly to her next target.]
You know, you might have gotten out of here a little sooner if you weren't so quick to be rude and brush people off.
[Her back is to him when she says it so casually, as if remarking on the weather as she stands on tiptoes to reach higher on a window frame. Her fingers snag on something and she pulls it free, spinning on a heel to hold up the key for Estinien to see it.]
But you don't have to take my word for it. I got you a present, here!
[With a smile in place once more, she tosses it to him in a quick underhanded motion.]
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He pauses next to one of the cages, looking over his shoulder at her. The key is snagged out of the air, but he can address it in a moment.
First: ] Cactuar.
[ She is the first person in this demented place that has spoken of anything even remotely familiar to him. ]
Little green creatures, full of needles, fond of throwing them?
[ Testing to see if she speaks of what he thinks she does. ]
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[Her brows are furrowed, as if this is common knowledge. As if cacti are normally prone to turning anything within a hundred yard radius into instant pincushions.
Little does she know this is not, in fact, a common theme among succulents. That Gaia and Hydaelyn are unique in this fashion.
But for now she just tilts her head, watching him with an increasingly puzzled look on her face.]
What about them?
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They roam the deserts of Thanalan where I am from.
What country do you hail from? What city?
What is it like?
[ The look in his eyes says she had best answer his questions. ]
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[Aerith taps her ears as if in example, then clasps her hands as she studies the room and all the equipment around them.]
Back home the only place to find cactuars was the desert around Corel prison. I came from a city called Midgar, where it was separated into halves above and below a plate, much like this city. The slums were below the plate, and never saw direct sunlight. Above the plate it was a city of machines, powered by generators that sucked the lifestream from the earth, killing the plantlife around the city for miles in every direction.
[Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes, letting her head fall back.]
That was years ago, before the city was attacked and most of it reduced to rubble. Everyone was evacuated, but they're still rebuilding last I saw.
[Still, there's a tension in her that wasn't there before, her hands gripped tight and her thumb strokes her knuckles as she seems to be actively regulating her breathing, lifting her clasped hands to her mouth as if in prayer.]
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A young woman like himself. He knows only so many of those; the odds of it being someone he personally knows are so very small...
But peppered throughout Aerith's words are things that are almost familiar. Midgard? Like Midgardsormr, the ancient wyrm? The coincidence is too much to ignore. ] ...there is no such city that I know of, at least in all the countries that I know.
The similarities are...disturbing.
When we have left this wretched place, can you show me to the girl you have spoken to before?
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[She pauses again, rubbing her hands together as she glances around, her lips pursed.]
It's not wretched, exactly. It could be much worse.
[Patting her hands against her dress as if to knock invisible dust from it, she turns back to Estinien with a smile, though it's not nearly as bright as it was before.]
But sure, I'll point her out to you if I see her.
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That confirms it beyond a shadow of a doubt. The muscles in his back and shoulders tighten, but he forces himself to relax. One problem at a time. They are yet in this room and must find a way out. ]
It is wretched enough.
[ But now he has a plan. He will speak to this girl, once they are free. ]
I will return to my task.
[ Namely, looking for the lock. It could be on anything, from the cages to the strange chairs and racks, and so he begins to pick amongst the furniture once more. ]
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[So instead, she follows after him, snooping through things and turning them over in her hands.]
Makes me wonder if there was ever a time when you weren't like this.
[The comment is idle, her gaze lingering on a cage and there's a tension in her before it passes.]
You know, last time I saw half these things they were torture devices. Really, it's rather impressive that people can take things meant to bring pain and use them to get something good out of it instead.
[Not that she doesn't spend a moment studying a rack with the faintest wrinkle to her nose, wondering what would make it sexy to someone. Something about power play and loss of control, probably. Yet the idea of being bound and caged still makes her nervous, and she hurries after him, rubbing her arms as a shudder ripples through her.]
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None of the cages are successful. Ironic.
He tries a chair...the stocks...and then, the X-shaped standing restraint, which does have a small lock--
Which, when he tries, clicks quietly, and the restraints open. ]
Hn.
How good it all is remains debatable to me.
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[She shrugs, a little glad that the cages don't have the clue, though she does pause at how the locks snap open so easily on the standing restraint, her brows arching as she glances to Estinien.]
Well, it depends entirely on a person's partner, I should think.
[Eyeing the restraint and then Estinien, she lets out a small, thoughtful sort of sound.]
Does this mean I'm supposed to let you put me in it?
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[ And yet, he is the one that turns first to test it, and puts his hands up into the restraints, though it makes his shoulders tighten and his stomach twist. The position is unacceptably vulnerable; the soldier in him despises it immediately.
But he wants out of this place. He wants his time to himself again.
And he is better able to endure this than she. ]
See if the restraints will close.
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[Her eyebrows arch, her eyes going wide.]
Alright, but let me know if it gets uncomfortable, okay? You're going to be fine.
[She pats his shoulder, taking a moment to get something she can stand on before carrying it over so she can reach his hands. Perched atop the chair, she steadies herself before reaching for his restraints, even as a chuckle escapes her.]
You know, it's not often I have to look down at someone. Must be kinda nice.
[With a bit of a stretch and a soft mutter under her breath, she flicks them shut, her eyes wide and hands hovering over them as if waiting for some sort of reaction.]
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Then with a soft click, the restraints lock and the key shimmers, then disappears in a cascade of silver motes. Estinien...is stuck. After a breath, he gives a tug of his wrists and finds that he is...still stuck. He curls his hands into fists and tugs again, harder, enough to make wood creak, but he is...still stuck.
His expression hasn't change.
But there is a stormy anger growing in his eyes. Not at Aerith, not truly, but at the situation. ]
...
I assume this was their intent all along.
[ Ice cracks in his voice. ]
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[She offers him a smile, but has a feeling it will do little to help his mood. It was worth a try, at least. Instead she focuses on the rest of the room, already thinking.]
It'll be fine, I'll find a way to get you out.
[She pauses, trying to climb down without grabbing onto him, but she has a sinking feeling as she takes one look at his face. Funny, she didn't think he could glare harder than he already had.]
When I do find it, I don't think you'll like the solution. If I end up having to touch you to get you out, will you be okay?
[After all, with the way this city ran she had the distinct feeling that it would take more than finding another key to get him off that rack.]
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[ He is standoffish, not ignorant; he could tell readily enough what this place is for, what the ultimate intent would be. The outcome had stirred and simmered in the back of his mind, annoying him, nagging at him, until he finds himself where he is now, feeling like little more than a caught beast.
...in that regard, Aerith is perhaps the best partner he could have had. Her calm and solicitude prevent the outburst of anger that had been building; he actually closes his eyes and wills himself to relax. ]
But I will accept what needs to be done.
[ A pause, before: ] I hold no ill will toward you.
[ And then, a longer pause. ]
What is your name?
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