duplicitymemes

Entry tags:

«tdm

TDM #2

« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »

« « « OUT OF CLUTTER FIND SIMPLICITY

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.

» » » LIES TRAVEL IN COMPANY

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.

« « « A. WAIST. OF. LEEWAYS.

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.

» » » THE KEY TO HEARTS

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.

« « « MOD & OOC NOTES

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!!

» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm not gonna say no to sleep. [ because when does he ever. ] Gods, that's so weird, though. I saw you just before I got here.

[ left the three of them in a room full of daemons and just had to hope that whole Chosen King prophecy was the real deal. which it wasn't. or it was, but Noctis didn't live up, and he went into the Crystal while the others were left to carry on fighting. did they make it out of there okay? they had to have. all of them already gave up too much for Noctis, and it turns out he isn't meant to live much longer anyway.

he's gone tense again, his shoulders hunched under Ignis' touch, strung taut with guilt and misery. he rubs at his eyes, suddenly exhausted and fighting back a headache that makes it feel like his skull is going to crack open from how much he has to think about. ]

This place sucks.

[Ignis' brow furrows in worry and he gently runs Noct's back, trying to ease the tension.]

Just saw me? What was happening when you last saw me?

[He has no way of knowing if Noct knows more or less than he does, but it's worth a venture. Does he know what happened to Lunafreya? Does he know what fate has in store for him? Or was he taken from the beginning if their journey?

[ that's exactly the question he didn't want to answer. he probably should have expected Ignis would find it as efficiently as ever. ]

Uh.

[ it's so obvious that he doesn't want to talk about this. he knows it's obvious. he doesn't want to lie, exactly, but he really wishes he were better at it just so he wouldn't have to admit to Ignis that the whole journey fell apart. he's thinking as fast as he can. if they do remember different things, then how can he describe the situation without giving too much away? he won't play ignorant if Ignis knows more. he just... he's not ready to talk about all the things that still feel like exposed nerve endings to him, raw and painful to touch. ]

I was going after the Crystal. In Zegnautus Keep? [ he shifts his weight, uncomfortable and restless. crosses his arms and looks down at his feet. ] You guys were fighting off some daemons and I had to go on ahead.

Zegnautus Keep....?

[Ignis pinches the bridge of his nose. Apparently, Noct knows more than he does... But that does mean one thing.]

So I lived through Altissia, is what you're saying? Because I honestly wasn't expecting to.

[Ignis had, after all, decided to use the ring. But he either was not permitted pact with it, or was a lot stronger than he thought.]

Well,it at least eases my mind to know you made it out alive... And honestly, I would prefer you know more than I do.. I would have found it terribly hard not to just tell you everything.

[ so it hasn't happened. if Ignis wasn't expecting to live, then it's close, but not everything has happened yet and Noctis doesn't have to tell him how badly it all went. he's not sure how long he's going to hold onto all that information, but just— not yet. not when Ignis is saying things like he hadn't expected to live through Altissia, which just reminds Noctis of how much everyone gave up only for him to stumble at the finish line. ]

You— [ he chokes on it, throat closed up like a vice, and when he tries again his voice croaks: ] Yeah. You lived.

[ that shouldn't have been a risk, though. Leviathan was his responsibility, and it was supposed to be hard to win the favour of the Astrals, sure, but not catastrophic. Lunafreya didn't need to die there, and Ignis didn't need to give up his eyesight, and... Noctis is getting wound up, thinking about it all at once, without the veil of grief that had numbed him before. it's clearer and sharp, stabbing at his insides. Ignis isn't blinded yet, but he could be, and that more than anything is what unlocks Noctis' clenched jaw. ]

You shouldn't have done it if you weren't expecting to live. Don't do it. [ he shakes his head and shrugs off Ignis' comforting hand. ] It... wasn't worth it.

[ it's kind of a distant thought, one that hasn't settled in yet, but — everyone sacrificed for him and he's going to die anyway. he's going to have to process that, eventually. ]

[Ignis looked at his spurned hand for a moment before looking back up at Noct.]

Trying to protect you is always worth it, Noct.

[The limo pulls up for to the curb and Ignis quietly ushers Noct inside. He doesn't like seeing Noct so upset. There's something more here, but it's not best to pry in public.]

[ he lets himself be herded into the limo without any fuss, especially because it gives him a break in conversation to latch onto, a definitely foolproof and not at all obvious way to change the subject. by the time they're both settled into seats and driving away from the party, Noctis has swept up that outburst, shoved all those things into boxes in the back of his mind where they belong, because he can't talk about any of that. he can't do it, he doesn't know how to. so he just... won't, same as always.

he's looking out the window as they drive, and whether he's actually interested in the view or just avoiding eye contact is difficult to say. ]

So what's it like being high society around here? [ augh, wait— ] Nope! Never mind. I actually kind of don't want to know.

[ he's suddenly realising he has to decide which is worse to talk about: feelings, or weird sex city. ]

[Ignis rests his elbow on an arm rest, leaning his chin onto his hand. He watches Noct, wondering just what exactly the young king had been through. His eyes widen at Noct's question and he shakes his head with a soft chuckle.]

I find myself rather popular here.

[ okay, bringing up sex city was definitely the greater of two evils, and he just dug himself the grave that he needs to be buried in right now, because he's going to die. Noctis groans and covers his face with both hands, sliding down the seat in genuine dismay. 100% real, not in the least melodramatic. ]

Gods, Ignis! [ he is outright whining. begging for mercy!! ] I don't wanna hear about that!

[ it's not— jeez, Noctis isn't a pure maiden or anything, and it's not like he's never thought about Ignis and sex in the same sentence, and he is not thinking about that. vehemently, absolutely, not dealing with that yet. this is too many things to process all at once, and he'll put them on a list from difficult to plain mortifying and work his way up later. right now, two seconds of normality would be nice. ]

[Ignis lets out a laugh, one that feels like a dam breaking under pressure. He shrugs as he eases his body language.]

You don't want to hear it? But didn't you just ask me? You must make up you mind, Noct.

I changed my mind! I clearly noped out!

[ but— it's been a while since he heard Ignis laugh like that. none of them have joked around since coming back from Altissia. he'd been to deep in his own grief to miss it much at the time, but it's there now. he missed it. his own embarrassment isn't a huge price to pay for that sound, and when Noctis drops his hands, he's smiling too, despite himself. ]

Ugh. You're killing me. This is regicide.

[Ignis' laugh peters out into a happy sigh.]

Regicide! That's a big word! You have matured, haven't you?

[Ignis smiles softly at Noct. He's missed this. He's missed Noct being over dramatic, and being able to joke and banter with his friends. He isn't ashamed.]

Noct... I've missed you.

[ that surprises him a little, until he reminds himself that it's been a month, for Ignis. it's strange to imagine; they haven't been separated for that long in a while, and definitely never so severely as the way this city cuts them off from home. when he thinks of it that way, he can sympathise with feeling maybe a little sappiness. ]

Missed you too, Iggy. [ he pauses, and adds a little more playfully: ] I mean, I did just see you, but...

[ he trails off with a quiet laugh, pushes himself back upright in his seat and rakes a hand through his hair. it's funny. this place is awful, and at the same time, a moment like this after what Bahamut told him, the verdict that Noctis accepted with little hesitation because it was just and right — ugh. after all of that, this feels like a weird kind of mercy. if the backdrop weren't a dystopia, he'd think Bahamut was letting him relive better moments. ]

Things have been kind of a mess since Altissia.

I imagine so...

[Ignis' mind is a mess as well. He looks over at Noct, to the damned mark on his neck. Would Noct deny his help, as Prompto did? He had to wonder. He lets out a sigh.]

I can't say I'm happy to see you here, but I am so, so relieved you made it through Altissia... I was so scared you wouldn't...

I know what you mean. [ good to see him, but it would be better if it didn't have to be because they're both here, of all places. Noctis shakes his head, trying to dismiss Ignis' worry about Altissia. ] I was okay. Slept for a while after, but — seriously, you don't need to worry about me there.

[ maybe if he can convince Ignis of that, then — what, he'll be able to change the past? not his own past, and there's no changing his future, but. if he could change things for Ignis, the Ignis that's sitting here with him right now, that would be something. if he could just undo one pointless sacrifice that was made for his sake, he'd rest easier. what's the point in dying for everyone's sake if everyone has already been hurt so much because of him?

and speaking of pointless sacrifices. ]

... If you know that it went bad, then you know about. [ he blinks hard a few times, and his voice cracks. ] Um. Luna. Right?

[Ignis turns pale and he nods, gritting his teeth.]

Yes..I know... If only I had gotten there sooner...

[Ignis' hands are balled into fists, and he's shaking.]

You don't understand, Noct. I had to try... if it could have been me instead of you... I had to take that chance! I had to try.

[ ah... they never really talked about this even in what Noctis has lived through. they all tried, he thinks; he can't really remember, he was so out of it in the weeks after Altissia. half the time it felt like he wasn't even in his body. but he thinks that there were some words of sympathy, some condolences. a couple of attempts to talk to him about it before it became obvious that he wasn't climbing out of that deep dark pit any time soon.

but since they never talked, he didn't know Ignis felt guilty about what happened. that's so stupid, after what Ignis gave up. both of those tragedies fall squarely on Noctis' shoulders, and he knows Ignis is hardly going to admit that, but he's not going to let anyone else carry that guilt. ]

Ignis, come on. [ he reaches out to put a hand on Ignis' shoulder, maybe to hold his attention as much as to comfort him. ] I was right there. If anyone could have stopped it...

[ if anyone fell short, it wasn't Ignis, who gave up his eyesight for Noctis. who, apparently, was willing to die for it, who fully expected to die— Noctis feels as though he can't get enough air, all of a sudden. that's supposed to be behind them. but he didn't know about his own prophesied fate until a few days ago, and in the light of that, everything looks so much worse. ]

And you— You don't get to just decide—

[ he really thought he was going to be able to swallow it down, he did, but it's what Ignis says that tips him over the edge. if it could have been me instead of you.

there's this awful feeling that's lived in Noctis' chest his whole life, something that digs its talons into his heart every now and then, or claws at his ribcage, and whenever it does, he feels guilty for... being alive. like it's something wrong he's done? because it seems like maybe he shouldn't be the one still alive, if people are going to keep dying for him. it's a feeling that became huge and unbearable after Altissia, that only gets worse every time he thinks about what Bahamut said. and it's a feeling that surges in him right now, cracks right through the barrier that usually separates what Noctis thinks and what he says.

his eyes are burning. the hand he put on Ignis' shoulder pulls away, and he digs the heel of his palm into one of his eyes, trying to dam the tears before they can start. he doesn't even know who he's angry at — himself, probably — but it doesn't matter, because he's shouting in the small, enclosed space of the limo. ]

I'm so sick of people sacrificing things for me! Okay?! [ Gladio said it's part of being King, but if it is, then that's not worth it. it isn't right. and Gladio blamed him, too, for what happened to Ignis. they can say it's duty all they want, but. ] Luna died, and you— [ he doesn't want to tell him. ] Everyone gets hurt for what's supposed to be my problems! Because I wasn't...

[ good enough. right? for everything to have gone that badly, there must have been something wrong, and Noctis is the common denominator. if he'd just tried harder, if he'd been better — he doesn't realise, thinking it, that it's exactly what he's angry at Ignis for believing about himself. even if he did, it wouldn't matter. it was Noctis' burden to bear, and he avoided it for so long that people got hurt.

the flash of anger has passed, and he slumps in his seat, exhausted but not done yet. ]

In Altissia, I was fine. Alright? [ he inhales, shakily. ] No more. No more trading yourself for me. I need you at your best.

[Ignis listens, letting Noct vent. It's certain now that something happened to him in Altissia, and Noct is being vague about it. Still... He has to use his words carefully. He hangs his head, almost hugging himself.]

Maybe you were fine in Altissia. But what about after that? If I could have defeated him then, maybe...

[Maybe the prophecy would never come to pass.]

[ he always thought yelling was supposed to be cathartic, but he really just feels worse. more importantly, he can't just sit here and let Ignis wallow miserably in guilt that isn't his to carry. with his temper cooling, Noctis slides over to sit closer, bumps one of his knees up against Ignis', hoping that the proximity might at least pull him out of his head just a little. this is a lot easier with Prompto, honestly. can he hug Ignis? would that be weird? ]

... Maybe what? [ it strikes a discordant note in Noctis' thoughts. there shouldn't be a maybe. why would Ignis be thinking about defeating Ardyn, when he wouldn't even know what Ardyn really is yet? even if he did, why would he feel the need to destroy the Scourge when that's what Noctis was born to do? ]

Nothing's happened with Ardyn yet.

[ that is by far the worst lie he's ever tried to tell. it doesn't even sound convincing to him. ]

[The casual touch is enough to at least get Ignis to look at him. So Noct doesn't know the the prophecy yet? Of course, Ignis only knows because of Pryna. He shakes his head.]

Adrenaline. It was just adrenaline. I just wanted to save my...my friend..

[Ignis, in this moment, is the worst liar in existence. ]

[ okay. cool. they're both just going to lie about a bunch of things, that's fine. Noctis is way too tired now to even press the issue, and bringing up secrets is a double-edged sword. so he just sighs, this huge exhale that must be all the air in his lungs, like maybe it'll clear his head along with it — and he tips himself, sideways, into Ignis. just leans full-bodied against him. he has decided this is less weird than a hug. ]

Okay. As the only one of us that has actually lived through all that, I get the final say. [ this is his King voice, which is the same as his plain old stubborn voice. ] And the say is: no sacrifices. None.

[ he really wishes there were a way he could explain how deeply pointless they are without revealing his fate. ]

We can even make it a deal. You promise not to throw your life away for me, ever, and I'll...

[ he makes a face. ] I don't know. I'll eat vegetables? Ugh, no, that price is way too high. What do you want instead?

[That earns Noct at least a small, sad smile. That normalcy was making his heart ache... And when he was asked what he wanted instead, he couldn't stop himself from answering honestly.]

Don't go somewhere I can't follow.

[ ouch. Ignis really does always manage to find the mark. and that isn't something Noctis can avoid, so he has to make a decision, right now, whether he's going to lie outright about this. and he has to stick with that decision. he's going to be here, seeing Ignis day-to-day, Ignis from a moment right on the precipice of everything falling apart, and — he wants, more than anything, for Ignis to stay the way he is now.

he's quiet for just a little too long, and then he smiles. ]

Sure. Deal. [ he fakes a yawn; it turns into a real one halfway through. ] Just letting you know, if this ride takes much longer, I am gonna fall asleep on you.

[Ignis knows Noct. He knows when Noct is hiding something. He also knows when Noct needs time. Noct just needs time now, and maybe, later, he'll be able to confide in Ignis. For now, he pats Noct's knee.]

Almost there. Although...there is one thing I must warm you about.

[ he'd probably be on edge if anyone else said that. but he trusts Ignis deeply and implicitly with just about everything, so he doesn't tense up, doesn't even bat an eyelash. whatever the problem is, they'll deal with it, surely. ]

Well, that's never good. [ he rubs at his eyes and yawns again. ] What's up?

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good LORD i'm deeply sorry for this tl;dr

Poor Noct...

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