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

"Dammit! You empaths drive me nuts! I can do the mind readers in my sleep, but I'm not so good at the emotions. That's cheatin." Of course, Obi-Wan could easily feel that he wasn't actually upset, just worried and scared. And even more worried because he was just drunk enough to be too honest in all his giveaways. Damn empaths.

He looked away, crossing his arms over his chest, giving Obi-Wan the silent treatment for a few seconds, then he sighed and shook his head, "I'm scared, ok? I know ya can feel it. I'm scareda everyone I feel somethin for, cause that means I could get hurt. I'd rather have friends than ruined dreams." Which . . . was way more honest and intimate than he'd ever normally be. And he wasn't sure he wouldn't like a bite or two, in certain cases. Which didn't help him be less confused!

“Cheating?” Obi-Wan’s expression is one of innocence, his tone of mock offense. “I can’t help what I am, my friend.” The Jedi unable to hide a grin as he finds it rather funny. Though it fades as the other man admits to his fear.

“I know,” he says quietly. “We all have something to fear, and it’s always our own worst enemy.” He goes quiet for a few moments as if considering something. But hey, if McCoy was going to show his own vulnerability it wouldn’t be fair for Obi-Wan to not do the same.

“In fact I can relate. Trust, it doesn’t come all that easy anymore.”

"Maybe ya can't help it, but ya could be nice enough ta ignore it." Not that he really meant that. McCoy usually didn't mind having people read his emotions. As a rule, he didn't bother with lies so why worry about what his emotions said? But sometimes . . . sometimes he didn't want to air his dirty laundry.

He heaved a deep sigh with Obi-Wan's words, letting go of the irritation at being forced to confess to secrets he'd rather keep. It wasn't the man's fault he liked to pry. McCoy reached out and laid a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, leaving it there warm and hopefully comforting.

"Hey. I don't lie, ya know me enough ta feel how honest I tend ta be. I won't say it wouldn't hurt ta hear ya didn't trust me anyway, but I can certainly understand. Just remember if ya ever need some honesty, I'm always willin ta give it to ya straight. An ya still an ass sometimes."

“Trust me, there’s a great deal I ignore.” This said as leans back, not at all ruffled by McCoy’s indignant words. He knows all too well how the other man feels, and he wanted to let him know he wasn’t alone.

The hand on his shoulder comes as a bit of a surprise, but he smiles and puts his hand over it. “I know that too,” he says with a measure of warmth as it certainly didn’t hurt to be reminded. He then laughs lightly as the other man proves his honesty.

“Then you can rest assured that I do trust you. It’s only that… well think of it this way. What would you do if someone you loved, someone like your Jim, were to ever betray you in the worst possible way?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes, "Most normal people don't get anya the stuff we're talkin about an we manage ta muddle through just fine. It's invasive Obi-Wan. Normally I don't mind, an I don't think much about it, but sometimes it's just too much gettin called on it."

McCoy got irritated at people all the time, but it didn't mean he disliked them. Obi-Wan confused him more than anything and that was where the biggest rub lived. But he still considered the man a friend. McCoy sighed at Obi-Wan's words, giving that shoulder a squeeze.

"I know what that's like, from the inside an the outside, an I wish ya didn't know what it felt like." Jim hadn't done what he did to hurt people, he'd done it to save them all, but that didn't make it hurt any less or feel like any less of a betrayal.

Giving the doctor a sympathetic look, the Jedi nods in understanding. “I know. And it’s almost never intentional. Part of our training is learning how to control that aspect of ourselves. Though to do so completely would compromise who we are. It would be like asking us to walk with our eyes closed or ignore someone yelling in your ear. The only way to do so would be to cut myself off from the Force entirely.” Something he isn’t willing to do. Not here at the very least. It was one of the few comforts he had from the life he knew.

“Though if you wish me to not… call you out. I can promise that much. Though I only ever want to help.” But he knows that people didn’t always want help. With McCoy he felt the need to be honest, but will respect his wishes to the best of his ability.

McCoy’s words of understanding drew another nod. One of sorrow and regret. “I told you about my people didn’t I? How they were hunted down and slaughtered?”

"Is there a way ta block ya? I mean, I can do pretty good with the mind-readers since I've had practice, but emotions ain't the same as thoughts. I dunno how ta hum an irritatin song with my feelins." He was smiling, not actually angry, but he was also curious. Was there a way to block emotions? McCoy waved away the idea that Obi-Wan should censor himself.

"Naw, I just get irritated at myself for leakin so much sometimes. Ya can call me on stuff all ya want, I probably deserve it. An I know ya don't do it ta be cruel." McCoy's gaze softened and he pulled Obi-Wan into a real hug instead, "I'm not sure if ya told me, or if I heard mosta it from Luke, but I know what ya mean. I can't imagine dealin with that." But he'd seen someone who had to. McCoy and Spock didn't always act like friends, but he'd watched that man watch his world turn into a damn black hole, taking most of his species along with it. He couldn't even fathom something like that in his own life.

Obi-Wan laughed lightly and shook his head. “Block? No. Not exactly, unless you have abilities similar to mine. But you can learn to reign back your emotions, make yourself less obvious. It’s something we Jedi have to learn ourselves.”

He then blinked in surprise as McCoy pulled him into hug. There was no complaint though, and Obi-Wan leaned into it slightly. Sighing softly, the Jedi gingerly put his arms around the other man as well. “It’s a dark time,” Obi-Wan confessed. “Yet it’s even worse knowing your best friend was part of it.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment then shook his head, "Honestly, I'd rather just be myself. It's somethin that ain't always great, since it definitely feels a little invasive sometimes, but I'm not any good at lyin." Well, he didn't enjoy lying. Concealing his thoughts wasn't the same thing as lying, but hiding his emotions just felt like lying.

McCoy rubbed a hand over Obi-Wan's back as he held the man, speaking softly, "That's one thing I never gotta worry about I guess. Jim just couldn't do that. He's not wired that way." Hopefully anyway. It wasn't impossible for Jim to do really crazy things, but he wouldn't commit genocide. Surely he'd never lose it so completely . . . Ah hell, now he was actually worried! McCoy did his best to tamp that worry down before Obi-Wan noticed and hugged the man a little tighter.

"It wasn't ya fault Obi-Wan. Someone so gentle an kind isn't gonna influence someone in a bad way. Sometimes . . . sometimes people just make bad choices. No matter how hard we try ta keep 'em on a better path."

McCoy’s view of what he and other Jedi did was just as simple and misunderstood as most. Obi-Wan could only smile in understanding and accepted the man’s choice. It wasn’t for everyone after all, but he wouldn’t have been a good friend if he hadn’t offered.

“I thought the same about Anakin,” he said softly. He didn’t know Jim, but he had known Anakin. His closest friend, his brother, practically his other half. Though the Jedi felt a little guilty as his words apparently stoked some doubt and fear in McCoy.

“You don’t know that.” His voice now barely above a whisper. “I didn’t see it coming, and failed to protect him.”

He sighed and poured out care and understanding instead of words for a moment, "Obi, I never had a kid, but I was one once. No matter what a parent does or says, no matter how much they try ta protect their kids, one day those kids grow up. They make their own choices, an no matter how much a parent might tell 'em those choices are wrong, they do it anyway."

"I know ya love him, but it's not your fault what happened." It didn't matter if Obi-Wan ever believed him, McCoy believed what he said and he knew that would come through in his emotions. He just wanted to ease the man's pain. To make some of the agony go away.

There was a long silence from Obi-Wan as he let McCoy speak. Words that he had heard before in one way or another. Yet there was always this part of him that was… inconsolable. Unable to forgive himself entirely for what happened. McCoy was right and yet…

“Most parents don’t have to kill their kids,” he murmured sadly.

"Ah hell. No. No, they don't."

He just poured out the emotions and held him, no longer caring what else Obi-Wan might pick up. It didn't matter, not when a friend was in so much pain. McCoy held Obi-Wan tighter, trying to give him something that would help.

Obi-Wan wasn’t quite sure how they had gotten to this point. He hadn’t meant to make this about himself, least of all such a depressing subject. Though alcohol did tend to loosen Gus to fine and he had plenty of it. He let McCoy hold him. Yes he was in pain. He always was to some extent. Though the alcohol again didn’t help as it brought those feelings to they surface much more easily.

“I thought I had killed him,” Obi-Wan continues to say, unable to stop himself. “I saw him burning but I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t help him. So I left him there. Certain he wouldn’t survive.” A lump swelled in his throat as ge could see it his mind as clear as the day it happened. “It wasn’t till a came here that I learned he survived.”

"Shhh it's ok. It's ok. Ya did what ya had to Obi-Wan. It wasn't outta cruelty, I know that much. Ya loved him more than anythin." And it had sounded like the man had turned into a monster. All the death and destruction he'd caused . . . Obi-Wan had been trying to free his friend, his brother, and to save the others who might get hurt.

"I'm so sorry Obi-Wan. But I'm here."

“I did love him. I still do. Even after everything that happened. And I even told him so. Force knows I should have told him sooner.”

Rubbing a hand across his face, the Jedi sighs. Blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. Trembling lips pulled in a melancholy smile as he looked at McCoy. “I know, and I’m glad you are.”

He cupped Obi-Wan's face and smiled back then leaned in to kiss his forehead, "No one ever said love's smart. An it's ok ta still love him. It's even ok ta still wanna stop him an not wanna hurt him doin it. Ya care Obi-Wan. Ya care about everyone an sometimes doin the right thing is doin the hardest thing an it just makes everyone hurt. Sometimes there's no good answer, but it's not wrong ta love someone."

That kiss to his forehead made Obi-Wan stop and blink. Staring at McCoy with a long silence as he absorbed what he said. Yet he also felt strange. It was probably the alcohol, or maybe it wasn’t. He really wasn’t sure. But all the same he blurted out his next words before he had the chance to think better of it.

“Even you?”

It was McCoy's turn to blink, "Loved someone I shouldn't? Oh sure. Plentya times. I mean, maybe not someone quite like your boy, but people I shouldn't fall for? Oh yeah. Definitely."

Even in the city, he'd managed that, to a very small extent. Painful. Stupid of him, but it happened. He stroked fingers through Obi-Wan's beard absently, just combing the coarse hair as he stared into the man's eyes. It wasn't meant to be anything, but it was probably a little more intimate than he ought to be, "I'm no angel, an I make mistakes alla time. Not with my patients, but with people? Ya paid any attention ta those awful things the city posts every month? I'm nowhere near gettin quota the way the city prefers. They been on me for a long time now."

And… McCoy completely misunderstands the question. Obi-Wan snorts and rolls his eyes a little, but let’s the man talk. However, the doctor then seals his fate when he touches Obi-Wan’s beard. There’s a visible shift in the Jedi’s eyes as he returns the gaze. That being one of his weak spots.

Then as the other man then went on about quotas, there was no holding back. “Then let me help you with that,” came the low, husky reply. With Obi-Wan suddenly pushing forward to plant his lips on McCoys with a firm and somewhat needy kiss.

Wait, what? His brain almost caught up to what was happening before the man kissed him. Almost.

McCoy could have pushed Obi-Wan away, could have turned his head, could have just leaned back, but he didn't do any of those things. It had been coming for a long time, he knew that, and while he still wasn't sure how he felt about Obi-Wan, he didn't have the heart to try and get away. The man was hurting, and he wanted comfort. And it was hardly the first time Obi-Wan had mentioned being interested in McCoy. Just because he wasn't sure of himself didn't mean he couldn't just see what a kiss brought. Right?

He didn't kiss back right away, too lost in his own head to do more than just sit there, but eventually he managed to respond. McCoy scratched his fingers through Obi-Wan's beard again, since it was apparently a very sensitive spot, and kissed back. He was hesitant, but it was worth a shot. He did care about the guy, even if there was still a hell of a lot of confusion too.

If he had been a little less inebriated, Obi-Wan might noticed that hesitation more keenly and pulled back with apologies. However, he is not so that doesn’t happen. Instead he indulges himself and continues kissing even as McCoy doesn’t respond. If he could he would tell the man to stop thinking so much. But his mouth was busy and McCoy didn’t share Obi-Wan’s telepathy. So he just communicated with his actions.

But then there it is. McCoy finally reacting in the way Obi-Wan hoped, and then some. Those fingers scrubbing through his beard sealed the deal. With the Jedi launching out of his chair to instead straddle McCoy’s lap. His kisses becoming hungrier as he placed his hands on the other’s shoulders. Fingers gripping fabric with intention but not yet making that move. If McCoy wanted to back out, this was the time.

Oh shit! McCoy made a muffled sound of surprise as the man was suddenly on top of him. Apparently playing with the beard was a signal he hadn't recognized, or misunderstood anyway. He'd thought it was just a little sexy, not permission to go hog wild! The spike of fear was unintentional and completely uncontrollable as he pushed gently at Obi-Wan, trying to turn his head enough to gasp in a breath and speak.

He didn't think the man would hurt him, not for a second, but McCoy wasn't ready to just have sex, and he didn't want Obi-Wan to do something that he'd regret either. The last thing he wanted was to hurt the man.

That spike of fear spoke loud enough that it got Obi-Wan’s attention. Like a splash of cold water. He didn’t protest when McCoy pulled away, rather he just blinked at the other man in surprise and concern. Some signals definitely got crossed and his cheeks flushed a bit in embarrassment.

“Leonard I… I’m sorry.” The Jedi realizing he had come on too strong and mentally kicked himself for it. Jedi restraint had flown right out the window in a moment of weakness. Clearing his throat he then moved to extract himself from the doctor’s lap and move back to his own seat.

"Ooooh no ya don't! Don't ya dare run away!" McCoy grabbed the man's arms and held on, making trying to get off his lap a lot more difficult. Just because things had suddenly gotten a lot more intense than he'd expected didn't mean he wanted Obi-Wan gone. He was still a little breathless and plenty red in the face, but it wasn't just the other man's fault and McCoy wasn't going to put all the blame on him.

"No runnin. Just . . . Just gimme a sec. An sit back down. Ya not that heavy." He didn't let his grip relax until he was sure Obi-Wan wasn't going to try and bolt, which is absolutely what McCoy would have done in the other man's shoes. Then he freed a hand to shove through his own hair. He'd be avoiding that beard for a while.

"Ok. Ok. That was . . . intense. An a little unexpected. An I'm sorry about the fear. I didn't mean that. I wasn't afraida you, just the situation. I think I pushed a button I didn't know about." A really big button he really hadn't meant to push. That was seriously unexpected to go from a little kiss to something that felt serious in just a few seconds. But he wasn't afraid of Obi-Wan. They just needed to talk.

TDM #22

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