Duplicity Game Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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duplicitymemes2022-07-10 07:11 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2022-07-10 07:11 pm
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TDM #25
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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 LIEs 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 LIEs 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 high-rise. Here, it is two Dominants per floor with separate apartments. If you enter Duplicity into the Down, congratulations! You're a Submissive, which means you are directed towards public transportation with the address of the motel you'll be living in. Here, it is two Submissives per room with a shared common space for all rooms. Enjoy your free time until Orientation! Participation is mandatory for all new and past arrivals. Skies are clear and the weather is warm. |
 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. |
 (cw: aphro/drugs) LIEs has once again partnered with a local coffee chain, Peek-A-Brew, to promote their summer menu and help play matchmaker among those in the program. Along with the usual goodie bag, each character will be handed a small slip of paper after Orientation with a date and time, location, and three fun facts about a mystery partner they're to meet for a coffee date. These "facts" may or may not actually be true — they're simply meant to spark conversation. For the duration of the 1-2 hours the pairs are expected to spend getting to know one another, they will receive unlimited free iced coffee, tea, and lemonade and a discount on any other menu items. Seasonal specials include fruity parfaits and popsicles in a variety of refreshing flavors. Naturally, all goods are spiked to make the consumers more agreeable, more truthful, and perhaps a bit more handsy than normal. Though the meetings are not mandatory, contact with the paper brings on an inexplicable sense of curiosity about meeting their partner and discovering who they really are. |
 (cw: aphro, temporary body changes) With summer heat building, the natives are looking for a reprieve from the sweltering weather. All manner of frozen treats are being sold and consumed and it's not uncommon to see Submissives fanning their Dominants as they walk down the street or ride the train. Sprinkler systems are running day and night in North Park and other city-owned patches of green and plenty of people are taking the opportunity to run and jump through the spray with little care for soaked clothing — or perhaps they aren't wearing clothing at all. Others have taken up squirting one another, as well as whoever is passing by, with water guns or hurling water balloons at anyone who looks like they need to cool down. Especially on the streets near the park, it's a wet and wild battle royale and all are welcome to join in. Getting hit with some of those colorful water balloons and squirt guns temporarily causes those who get splashed to taste like sweet, mouth-watering summer fruits. It's not just their skin either — the effect extends to their sweat, saliva, and even sexual fluids and can last for several hours. Those around them will find it hard to resist having a taste. |
 (cw: violence, public nudity/exposure) If you're out on the streets of the Down, it's not just your wallet you have to worry about losing. It seems that one of the local gangs, the Bulldogs, has set a new test for their junior members and those hoping to join: steal an article of clothing right off the body of someone in a public place. From snatching the hat off their head to slicing the shirt off their back, it's anything goes! These junior initiates quickly get competitive, one-upping each other on who can complete the task in the most ballsy or outrageous manner. Some compete over who can collect the most clothing, either certain articles or overall, or who can score a full set first. As word spreads and more people are going around suddenly missing part of their outfits, the Sparrows, a rival gang, decide to get in on the action purely for bragging rights. Rather than taking the clothing by force, they pride themselves on using stealth and trickery, leaving more than a few people naked and confused. |
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 the assignments are OOCly 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 is more of an optimist, they are a Submissive. If your character is more of a pessimist, they are a Dominant. To Note: Characters can only swap their designation for one of the following reasons: an event occurs that allows it or there are OOC reasons that make it a necessity. Any swap always requires mod approval and each character can only ever switch once. Characters that are being reapped will keep their previous designation but players can choose to use new TDMs with different designations for fun! Test Drive threads can be used as activity proofs for characters currently in-game. Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
no subject
This place really did enjoy feeding on the negativity of the people it brought here.
When Sam turns to look at him, Steve leans back with the slightest clearing of his throat, staring at him head-on as his grip loosens. He doesn't want to let him go, fears that if he does he'll disappear, and maybe that's why he shifts his stance, angling his body so he can cup the side of Sam's face. Back home, Sam had constantly been on his mind, and here, between Nat and all the others he hadn't seen, he'd still thought about him. ]
He's like that, [ he says eventually, the corner of his mouth curling into a partial smile. ] It's good to know he's got somewhere safe to go back to though.
[ And unable to help it, maybe, Steve lets his thumb sweep over Sam's cheekbone. Just to feel his skin, to help ground himself to this moment. He'd missed him almost too much, this man who'd become his best friend in the years he'd had none. ]
But what about you? How are you doing with all of this?
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That he wants to fight back hard. Bare his teeth and dare this place to force him into the submission the line on his neck signifies. That the idea of signing himself away like property opens up generational trauma Sam knows Steve can't possibly understand.
Instead...
Instead he lets warmth seep into his eyes, lets himself smile as he tilts his head a little, subconsciously pushing a little into the gentle contact. His breath ghosts over Steve's inner wrist, over his pulse. Sam puts forth his bravado, his charm. This, he can do for Steve. ]
Can't say I care for it. But it ain't the Raft, so... silver linings, y'know. Seeing you without a million wrinkles is a treat, too. [ A little more softly: ] You're a sight for sore eyes, Steve.
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He's there, and Steve can't let him go. ]
I dunno. Pretty sure there are worse places than the Raft, and this might just be one of 'em. [ He means it almost like a joke, but there's a somberness to it that says it's probably true. Besides, whatever Sam says about wrinkles gets sidelined into all the old jokes without missing a beat. ] Same here.
[ He's missed him a lot.
And when he finally draws back, his eyes fall on that line down Sam's throat. This must be how the city punishes people who would purposely fight back against it. ]
We should probably get out of here. [ One of his hands drops to pull at the damp fabric of his shirt. ] Unless you wanna stick around and get wet.
no subject
Bit late for that.
[ The pull on the damp fabric makes Sam shiver a little, goose bumps on his skin when a breeze cools over the moisture on his skin. He's still unaware of the intensity or nature of the scent the water's bringing out in him. ]
People around here were real eager to turn me into a wet t-shirt contest.
[ And Sam rolls his eyes at that a little. Look, he won't undersell how nice his pecs are, but seriously, people. Get a grip.
If he snakes an arm around Steve's middle now that he's free to turn around a little more in his grasp, if he wants to keep his long lost friend close for just a moment longer, that's certainly no one's business but his own.
He swallows when Steve's gaze drops to his throat though, still self-conscious about the mark and its implications. His lashes sweep down, the length of them hiding his gaze for a moment as it lingers on Steve's blank neck. Wherever they go, are people just going to assume Steve's taking Sam like a piece of property?
He glances up again. ]
Not many places for me to go. Though I suppose I could go anywhere with you. [ A beat. ] And would.
[ Because that can never be in question. His trust in Steve is still implicit - despite everything. Whatever those five years maybe have changed for Steve back home, and whatever those 6 months after may have changed for Sam, that bone deep truth hasn't shifted a bit. ]
no subject
[ It should be strange how normal that sounds coming out of his mouth, but he doesn't bat an eye at it. Not now, anyway. When he'd first arrived, there had been a sort of culture shock to absorbing all of the sex and how many people were into the kind of body he has. He'd been aware of it – thanks, internet – but it had never been so blatantly flaunted in front of him before.
And Sam hugging him? Well, it's still good to feel him there, even if it's a bit charged with how damp they are. Another typical Duplicity stunt, but Steve doesn't seem too bothered by it right now. ]
Is there anywhere you wanna go? I don't like it, but they won't ask questions if we're together. [ He pauses then, letting his fingers settle on the back of Sam's neck to give it a gentle squeeze. ] When I first got here, I had that exact same mark. I've only been without it for about two weeks.
[ So, he sort of understands in a different way. Steve had grown up used to being invisible, but as a submissive? It's like he hadn't existed at all. ]
no subject
[ It's a joke, this one laced with some real humour though. Because everything else aside, he can see the absurdity in all of this. And listen, he knows what he looks like. And he knows it's damn fine. And he knows that other people's appetite is wakened much faster than his own. Still, this place definitely takes it to the next leve.
Without thinking, Sam reaches up, puts his other hand on the side of Steve's neck, thumb briefly tracing over the line must have been. ]
Lucky for us you were upgraded.
[ Sam feels anything but lucky right now, generally speaking. But he's also earnest when he meets Steve's eyes again, mostly unaware of how they're getting progressively more soaked by proxy as nearby, sprinklers are working and people are still playfighting. ]
I'm sorry you had to go through that though. And for so long.
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Should he? He's been in Duplicity long enough to know it's whatever they'd spiked the water with, but all he's starting to think about is dragging Sam close and pressing their mouths together.
Steve lightly grips Sam's wrist and gives it a squeeze. ]
It's okay. There were other ways to fight back. [ His smile is gentle. ] Come on. Let's leave before someone tries asking us to join them.
[ Not a great welcome to the city if they suddenly get sucked into an orgy. Steve doesn't know if he could handle that, and without so much as waiting for an answer, he drags Sam away from the water fight unfolding around them, deciding that the nearest place to talk is some quiet little B&B with only one bed in the room. He ignores that and tries not to get water all over the floor as soon as he's through the door. ]
no subject
Remembers the grief. The easy way in which they pulled close to one another here, out of time and out of place as they were.
The moment passes. Except that Sam's face is turned to Steve intently, and there is no way Steve can miss the way Sam's lips part when he squeezes that wrist, even just a little.
The B&B is... cozy, if suggestive. More importantly, it's private. Away from people who make assumptions or look at either of them with a naked intent that makes Sam uncomfortable from perfect strangers. And as for Sam, he doesn't think about that lingering tension between them, doesn't think about the single bed when he steps closer to Steve again, puts an arm on his shoulder. Doesn't mind that they are soaked through still, clothes barely dried down and sticking to their skin. ]
You look like someone dunked a retriever in the bayou.
no subject
When Sam settles that arm on his shoulder, Steve just turns and presses full-bodied into him. ]
You – [ He swallows. ] And you're the best thing I've seen in weeks.
[ It's definitely some sort of line, probably something he heard somewhere at some point, but Steve doesn't have the time to be embarrassed by it.
Not when he's drawing Sam in close and only pausing just short of making sure there's some sort of nonverbal consent there before he leans in to kiss him. The pressure of it is soft, a sort of longing resting there behind it as well as something else. Something defined by the city because they're both damp and probably slightly affected by it; for Steve, it'll fade fast, but right now, he's grasping onto it kind of hard. And his fingers curl into Sam's shirt, holding him there and just testing. Asking and seeking what he couldn't possibly ask for, breaking to breathe and waiting on that precarious edge to see what happens. ]
no subject
All that to say, Sam can't laugh at the incredibly corny line - not yet anyway, he will absolutely drag Steve for it later. No, instead his eyes widen when Steve presses into his space, pulls him close again. And in that small space where Steve looks for permission in Sam's eyes, he'll see a gaze returned back to him that is for once stripped of Sam's usual masks. Just like that, Sam's laid bare, and looks back at Steve like a man drowning in his own loneliness and grief, in everything he keeps hidden so far below the surface. Steve's permission is a small nod that Sam isn't even fully aware he's giving, mind spiralling away from him when Steve leans in and kisses him. It's soft and tentative, and when they part, Sam winds an arm around Steve's shoulders, the other hand cupping the man's cheek.
It's not uncertainty Steve will see in Sam's eyes, but rather a vulnerability he conceals far better usually, behind a charming smile and quick, daring wit. And he finds himself pressing close into the solid frame of Steve's arms. One of the few places in the worlds where he never had to hide, and yet still always did. Except for now. He's searching Steve's eyes too. Perhaps for reassurance. Perhaps for an affection he already fears is just grief snapping taut, or else the city digging its claws in.
There's something about the kiss that tastes better than it should, and Sam's fully aware that it should make his alarm bells shrill, that it should make him pull back and re-examine from a different standpoint. Instead he runs his thumb over Steve's cheekbone and tilts his own face up, offering himself up to his friend like it's the easiest thing in the world, like it's costing him nothing. Like they've done this a thousand times already. ]
no subject
Those years they spent running, the way they'd leaned on one another? No. It had never been this brutally raw, even when Steve had felt as close to Sam as he had, and then, in the middle of all that, he'd simply had to come to terms with the fact Sam had disappeared from his life in the blink of an eye. He can't recall how much time he'd dedicated to searching for him, how much time he'd sacrificed thinking that Sam might have been somewhere out in the world, surviving rather than dust. It doesn't feel like that now, not with his arms around him and the calloused feel of his thumb against his cheek. The roughness of his kiss, the warmth of his body pressed to his.
Steve staggers under the weight of it and melts.
The second kiss isn't testing at all, firm as he pushes against him and seeks more. There's that unfamiliar taste that comes with it, how it beckons Steve even closer than he already is, and that, on its own, should have been enough to tell him that this isn't just grief or missed opportunities or what-ifs. This is the city toying with them, with his feelings as it had the very day he'd arrived, but Steve can't bring himself to slow down or pull away, loosening his hold to skim a hand down Sam's back before pushing his fingers under his shirt to feel skin. He's solid. Real.
And when he turns his head to break the kiss, to breathe, Steve's right back in Sam's space, their foreheads resting together as he soaks it all in. ]
You sure? [ is all he asks. It might not even be the right question or the right thing to say, but Steve needs him in every way Sam is offering. And from the look Sam had given him, Steve believes Sam needs that too. ]
no subject
'bout you?
[ Sam remembers Steve on his door step with Natasha. Remembers 'everyone we know is trying to kill us'. He hadn't hesitated. He remembers throwing himself into the fight. He remembers Steve given him what he'd lacked in all those years since Riley's death, all those years in which he'd floated through on auto-pilot, getting a degree, getting a job, getting a place, and running, running, running as if it could ever make up for losing his wings, as if it could ever take him far enough towards what he needed. ]
Yes.
[ And perhaps it's selfish, taking what Steve is offering in his grief and with the city making their kisses taste too sweet. Perhaps it's cruel to know that Steve walks away from him, takes Sam's steadfast certainty and snaps it in half, searches for his well-earned peace and rest and happiness so completely far from Sam when Sam had been nothing if not certain by his side for so long, and still say yes to this. But Sam can't help himself. He's always been the man to let himself fall, snapping his wings open at the last possible second.
Sam remembers Steve Rogers entering his life and uprooting it in its entirety just by giving Sam something to be sure about for the first time in so long. He remembers needing and wanting nothing more in his life for four whole years after, more alive than he'd felt in oh so very long, and more certain about chasing a brainwashed ex-assassin through Europe, joining a superhero team that didn't bother paying him, ruining his civilian life to do the right thing, staying behind to cover Steve and Bucky, not knowing he'd ever see the light of day again once thrown on the Raft, facing an Alien army far outclassing some fisherman's son turned pararescue. And every step of the way Steve had told him he didn't have to do it. And every step of the way Sam had been sure.
None of it changed until Steve gave him a shield and a legacy Sam didn't want and couldn't say no to anyway, because he'd never been asked. ]
Always.
[ Because Steve had sped past on Sam's left one day, and ever since all Sam wanted was to try and keep pace. He'd always been sure he'd inevitably get left behind. And he'd always known it would never stop him anyway. So he pulls Steve's face towards him, coaxes him their lips together and arches into him. Allows himself to want Steve and embrace the certainty that they only meet in the middle for a brief, bright, wondrous moment before Steve rushes past. ]
no subject
He can lean on his friends, but they should be able to lean on him too. He can't expect it to be good all the time. They're people, not tools. That's not how you show someone you love them.
It's the thought he holds onto when Sam meets him, rocking into him with the same fervor as Sam arching forward, and they work well together—even in this. They always have. Maybe they always would, something that sticks with Steve as he takes a step towards the bed and tries to navigate them both without tripping over either of them in the process. This part isn't smooth, but he's sure, regardless of whatever's happening here, that he wants to feel Sam. He wants to touch him, to have those hands on him and holding him close, and it's that very idea that he leans on as he kisses him harder, teeth grazing lightly at his bottom lip when he pulls away to breathe. ]
Here. [ There's a pause, needing to press his hands against skin but also finding that they're both very overdressed suddenly. ] Let me –
[ Even as messy as this is going to be, Steve still takes his time to help Sam get out of his clothes. His shirt, at least, because Steve is seconds behind in doing that with his own, and by then, it's easier to get them both onto the bed, to push Sam down against the mattress and straddle him so he can see his face when he looks at him. Steve puts all of it to memory: the heat of Sam's skin, the line of muscle in his arms and chest. He looks good, looks like someone he never thought he would see again, and Steve is aware that it must read easily on his face, never one to hide much at all, even when he tries.
Whatever words he can think of will never be enough. Not right now, maybe not ever. So, he speaks with his body instead, leaning down to kiss Sam again until they both need to breathe and trailing his mouth along his throat, over his collarbone. He tastes him, touches his chest and belly with a firm gentleness that screams how much he's needed him and how much he's wished he'd been there to stand at his side like he's always done from the very beginning. It's like reconnecting with a missing part of himself, and Steve sighs with it, murmuring Sam's name quietly before finding his mouth again. ]
no subject
But he refuses to engage in troubling thoughts when he's here, with Steve's blue eyes on him as solid and as warm as his hands and his lips and his tongue and his teeth, making Sam tremble under him. He opens his legs as if it's the easiest thing in the world to let Steve in closer, let him slot in between and take away all distance between them. And it's so easy to reach back to him, so painfully easy to touch him, feel his warmth.
And it hits Sam hard then. That Steve is here. Alive. Living and breathing and staying - at least for just now. At least for just this moment. Sam can feel the way his muscles move under warm skin, can feel the way Steve's pulse jackhammers as their mouths slot together just so, as Sam's lips open to him, sweet and dark and warm, like a promise of all things Steve can have in this moment. Steve is alive. And after six months of loss and grief that he's only just started to heal from, that is everything.
Sam runs his hands over the warm and exposed skin, gentle and reverent but with purpose, with intent until his fingers find a button, a zipper, help ease the fabric open and down a little as their kiss breaks for air, but Sam chases it, nips at Steve's bottom lip with a soft groan. Goosebumps on Sam's skin, a slight shiver, a tremble, at every one of Steve's touches, kisses, glances. ]
I... Steve, I need. [ He gasps for air at the way they rock against each other, brief and bright, feels like he's about to see stars. But he has to tell him, because it's important, because he knows Steve will want to take care, and the thought alone makes Sam want to flee his own body screaming... ] It's been... I haven't. Not since...
[ And he finds he can't say it. Even now, so many many years later. And perhaps that will tell Steve everything he needs to know. The fact that Sam, who is so rarely at a loss for words, cannot say this, but needs Steve to know it anyway. That this is the first he's had since he lost the first of so many partners. ]