duplicitymemes | TDM #22

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TDM #22

« « « 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 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.

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

Winter is here and snow flurries are common in the Up while the slush collects in the Down.

» » » ALL ABOARD

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.

« « « WINTER WONDERLAND

As a particularly heavy snowstorm blows across the city, Duplicity finds itself blanketed in white. The morning after the storm, many citizens seem to be in a particularly mischievous mood and snowballs are a common sight flying through the air. A projectile meant for someone else may hit you square in the face if you're not careful — and then it's on. Joining these impromptu snow battles is encouraged, no matter a person's designation, and even Submissives teaming up to pelt unsuspecting Dominants with snowballs is generally taken in the spirit of good fun. Not everyone is throwing snow, of course — some are rolling much larger balls and shaping them into lewd snow figures.

Those feeling chilled after playing in the snow may experience the urge to warm up with someone else, skin to skin. Whether they're a stranger or a familiar face, holding hands, kissing, or getting down and dirty with the nearest willing partner is invigorating. It might even be the only way to really feel warm again.

« « « DUBIOUS DELIVERIES

(cw: aphro, humiliation kink)

Want to make some quick cash? After exiting the train in the Down, there seems to be a questionable character hanging about the station. Dressed in a trenchcoat and looking more like a flasher than the businessman he claims to be, this shady recruiter offers easy money in exchange for a simple delivery. Just take a package and drop it off at the address on the label. Really, that's it! Stop asking questions.

Should characters decide to open the package themselves instead, they'll discover one of the following: glitter — so much glitter, lube (appears normal, but actually contains hot pepper and will cause more than a mild tingling sensation if used anywhere sensitive), a package of flavored condoms mysteriously labeled "every flavor" (none of them taste good), candy or perfume containing an aphrodisiac that, in addition to the usual libido-boosting effect, will also cause an intense craving for humiliation.

It seems to be one of those services that allows one to send anonymous prank gifts, and they're hiding behind LIERs as couriers. There's no return address or company information on or inside the package, except for a card marked Encoded Sin Corp — which does not seem to be a real company if the name is searched.

Whether characters end up delivering the package — maybe even to a fellow LIER — or get into some trouble along the way, someone is getting a nasty surprise.

« « « SURPRISES FOR SALE

(cw: aphro, dubcon, excessive fluids, exhibitionism, public use)

A small winter market has been set up along one of the major streets in the Up with stalls selling a variety of goods ranging from knitted hats and scarves, soaps, scented lotions, candles, jewelry, artwork and assorted crafts to hand-dyed bondage rope and kinky leather accessories. Food and drink stands are plentiful as well. Strings of lights crisscross the street between the roofs of the shops, providing a cheerful glow, and there are tables set up in the street itself for people to sit and chat while having a snack — if they can stand the cold.

Some of the most popular treats being sold are hot chocolate, eggnog, marshmallow snowmen, and sugar cookies decorated like snowflakes. Of course, their popularity may have something to do with the effects they produce when consumed.

• The hot chocolate simply gets one all hot and bothered.
• The eggnog may cause heavy production of sexual fluids, a desire to be filled or covered with someone else's cream, or all of the above.
• The marshmallow snowmen will make those who eat them want to invite others to use them as they please, desiring nothing more than to be molded into the perfect fucktoy.
• The sugar cookies seem to induce all sorts of different cravings — after all, no two snowflakes are alike!

These effects tend to last at least an hour and may, in some cases, last up to a full day.

One of the jewelry shops sells an unusual selection of compass pendants and bracelets. The compass arrows spin round and round lazily while the pieces are on display. Once worn, however, that changes. The arrow will settle on a direction, but instead of pointing north it will lead directly to another person. Perhaps you should speak to them? You may even begin to feel magnetically drawn to them yourself… In the event that two people have compasses that point them at each other, the attraction will be even stronger — nearly impossible to deny.

There is another shop which sells intricately designed pocket watches and small clocks. When these timepieces are stared at for an extended length of time or picked up and handled, characters will feel a brief but strong connection to their past and experience a vivid flashback to some moment that was, in whatever way, meaningful for them. After reliving the memory, they will feel compelled to speak about it to whoever is nearby.

« « « 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 likes it hot, they are a Dominant. If your character prefers the cold, they are a Submissive.

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 fun!!

» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, you did, you were trying to kill them. Now you're not. That could change again, but until it does?

[ Kazu shrugs. ]

It was war. I'm sure I'll meet them eventually and get to form my own opinions directly. I have never fought just because someone tells me so.

Huh.

[ Its not how Ephemera would have approached it, if their positions were reversed. Sometimes, people just tear each other apart. There isn’t always a good reason.

But they have a second chance here. That’s worth something, isn’t it? ]

That’s a good way to move through life, I think. Decide for yourself.

[ If people are tearing each other apart for no good reason, they aren't the type Kazu wants to be around. But either way he'll find that out for himself. As it stands he likes Ephemera fine and by his own admission the others aren't hurting anyone, so Kazu's just going to hope they're decent people outside of their world's conflicts.

He does have to laugh bitterly at that assessment, though. ]

Not in the military, it's not. But I've been making my own life difficult for the better part of two decades, why stop now?

[ Ephemera does laugh at that because no, it's really not. ]

Fair point. You and I got that in common, I think. Never did move through the ranks much. Had one of those attitude problems.

[ That, and he wasn't willing to cross that one last line. ]

Oh no, I moved. Straight to the bottom!

[ He's proud of it, honestly. Especially now that he's returned triumphant and given orders to General Anno himself. ]

Nobody wanted me to be their problem. I got bounced around for a few years until I'd pissed off every officer in Japan who'd take me, then they gave up. I was demoted to kitchen duty until the ESU found me.

[ Another chuckle, and Kazu tilts his chin up and puts one hand on his hip, almost posing. ]

We're all Polity, but relations with the Vanguard are terrible. I'm pretty sure if it was a request for anyone else Anno would have refused, they were just so happy to get rid of me I was in America two days later.

[ There are pieces Ephemera doesn’t quite understand, but he can follow along easily enough from context. And he grins, because he’s known soldiers like that. The ones who wouldn’t take it on the chin, who never lost that spark. ]

You know, I like you.

[ It's really just the names that would be unfamiliar -- the point is how he's a rebellious pain in the ass and that comes across loud and clear.

He'd probably be getting in trouble here constantly, if not for Val. ]

Of course you do. What's not to like?

[ Said with the tone of someone who knows there's plenty, and is actually very happy to hear otherwise. ]

[ Ephemera smiles at that. Yeah, he likes Kazu. His energy, how he sees the world. It’s rare that he can have a conversation with another soldier that doesn’t inevitably spiral back toward the awful they survived. And there were pieces of that here, but not all the time. ]

You wanna spar? Or just get some food? My partner’s teaching me to cook.

Hmm, you're wearing a half ton of metal. I would only break my fingers if I tried to punch you.

[ Doesn't seem fair, does it? He's curious about these cooking lessons now, though, that sounds very cute. ]

What can you make so far?

True.

[ Ephemera shrugs, tapping his fingers absently against his helmet before he motions for Kazu to follow him and heads for the door. Might as well, right? ]

Pancakes. Pasta. Working on stir fry. And I tried cookies once that weren't completely terrible.

[ Kazu falls into step behind him, considering those options and thinking for a moment. ]

Would you like to learn something a little different? To impress your partner.

[ Ephemera blinks. ]

Yeah. If you're offering. Think he'd like that. What've you got?

I was thinking of taking the pancakes you already know to the next level. Do you think he'd prefer something leaning more Japanese or French?

Pretty sure he'd like either. What's the difference?

[ Look, Barrows was the one who cooked back home. Ephemera's learning slowly, but there's a lot he's never done before. And a lot he's never eaten in the first place, as it happens. ]

They're basically opposites. Japanese pancakes are huge and fluffy, and the French prefer crepes -- those are very thin and you can use almost anything as a filling.

[ There are plenty of reasons someone wouldn't know how to cook, Kazu's not judging. His father just happens to be a master so he had a leg up long before winding up on kitchen duty. ]

Don't think I've ever had a crepe. Think he'd like the Japanese ones best, though.

[ Ephemera considers it for a moment, pausing once they reach the apartment. ]

We've got a dog. You're not allergic or anything?

Those are easier anyway. You two can come over sometime and I'll make crepes for you to try.

[ Val would probably really enjoy it too, and if he plans it they can mess around with fillings a lot more-- wait what? Kazu's eyebrows go up. ]

Allergic to dogs? No, I don't think so.

Yeah? Let's do it.

[ Look at him, being social. He used to be good at this part. Making plans, just hanging out with people casually. It takes more effort these days. He gets tense, twitchy.

This isn't so bad, though.

Ephemera hums a little. ]

Cool. Her name's Sable.

[ Then he opens the door, crouching down to intercept the puppy already barreling for freedom. He's careful of his gauntlets when he hefts her, cradling her to his chest. He could hurt her if he isn't careful. ]

C'mon in.

[ Oh no, don't crush the puppy...... she's cute.... Kazu steps inside, closing the door behind them, and immediately holds out his hands. ]

Here, let me hold her? You can get out of that.

[ Sable, thankfully, knows she can't wiggle too much when Ephemera's holding her like this. But she's rambunctious, still just a baby, and there's only so long she can be still before the wiggles start making their way out. One day, Ephemera hopes she'll be big enough and strong enough to come running with him. ]

Thanks.

[ Carefully - very carefully - he holds Sable out to Kazu. ]

She's a baby, but she loves people. Be nice to her, yeah?

[ With a very serious nod Kazu steps forward and takes the puppy, cradling her as Ephemera did so it's a familiar hold. He doesn't exactly remember the last time he was around one like this... just that he was a kid. Every now and then he'd see civilians with their pets but hadn't gotten to interact with them. ]

Hi, Sable--- ah.

[ He barely gets her name out before she's wriggling around to stick her nose directly in his face, sniffing excitedly at the new person and then licking his cheek. ]

Yes, okay. Hi. Yes. Nice to meet you too.

[ Go change, new friend, they're going to be just fine. Even from his room, Ephemera will hear Kazu laughing and talking to the little dog. ]

[ It's a risk he's taking, trusting Kazu around the puppy. She's little, she thinks everyone is a friend, she's so new to the world that nothing's had a chance to hurt her yet. And if she's lucky, nothing ever will - not like it did for the rest of them. But he's not going far - leaving the doors open, even - and Ephemera likes to think he's a better judge of character these days.

Kazu doesn't seem like the type to hurt an animal. So Ephemera listens, but he doesn't fall to paranoia as he racks his armor. ]

Drake, my partner, he said she's gonna be big. She kinda looks like a potato right now, you know?

[ All round and soft. He loves her with a quiet sort of intensity. ]

[ When Ephemera returns he'll see that Kazu is already visibly more comfortable with Sable. He's now got her cuddled in one arm on her back like a baby, alternately rubbing her belly and letting her paw playfully at his fingers as he tries to boop her nose. Her tail is wagging so hard there's a little 'thwap' every time it hits his stomach.

So. Nothing to worry about with this one, really. ]

Hm, but a very cute potato.

[ Kazu chuckles, letting the puppy catch his hand and grinning back up at Ephemera. ]

I think you can tell from their paws?

[ Ephemera returns dressed in jeans and a loose sweatshirt, the sleeves flecked with paint. He leans against the wall, smiling a little. Sable looks thrilled to have a new person paying attention to her, her tail going like a piston. Sometimes she gets nippy and Ephemera doesn't notice - too much nerve damage, he thinks - but they're working on that. And one day she'll have enough stamina to go on runs with him. ]

Yeah. Apparently she'll grow into hers.

[ She's got big honking paws already. ]

Never had a dog before her. Got chased by them a few times when I was a kid, that was about it.

I have never had a real pet... when I have a job to pay someone back I'm going to ask a dominant to take me to get a bunny, though.

[ He doesn't immediately explain why, just gives Sable one last boop and sets her down carefully so she can run over to Ephemera. ]

What made you choose a dog, then?

TDM #22

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