duplicitymemes | TDM #36

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TDM #36

« « « 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 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.

Submissives are provided with a plain black pleather collar to wear and Dominants are given bracelets made of the same black pleather. The simple design is an immediate visual indicator that they have not yet signed a contract and they will be informed that more elaborate or personalized styles are a privilege reserved for those who do.

Enjoy your free time until Orientation! Participation is mandatory for all new and past arrivals.

Spring rains are in full force. It's wet out there.

» » » 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.

« « « RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

(cw: clothing destruction/public nudity, altered mental states, suggestibility)

While the pleasant spring weather has finally taken hold of Duplicity, this also means there's rain in the forecast. A rather large storm is on track to hit the city, and, in preparation for the deluge of water that will be hitting city streets, LIEs has decided to provide all new Submissives with their very own umbrella to use at Orientation. There's just one catch, however — to use these umbrellas, Submissives must share them with a Dominant.

The timing is quite fortunate, too, for as soon as Orientation wraps up, the rain begins. Those who have been in the city long enough will remember that these storms have a way of lingering longer than initially predicted. The rain is also a bit on the acidic side, with the unfortunate side effect of dissolving any fabric it comes into direct contact with. Better use that umbrella unless you want to walk the streets wet and in the nude. Fortunately, the umbrellas are just big enough for two people to fit underneath together — so long as they're willing to cuddle in close.

Pairs who deign to share their umbrella will find that, the longer they huddle together beneath it, the more amicable to one another they'll become. More than that, however, each designation will be affected in a distinct way. Dominants will begin experiencing a stronger instinct to be more spontaneous, making spur-of-the-moment suggestions or shirking off the remainder of their responsibilities for the day. For Submissives, however, this means greater suggestibility, especially those who are often quieter, more reserved, or even more repressed in nature. Deciding to do something spontaneous, especially something you'd never choose normally, seems a little less daunting when someone else has come up with the idea. Maybe today is a good day to let the rain wash away the rest of your plans so you can spend as much time as possible with your umbrella partner before the clouds retreat.

» » » PLUGGING LEAKS

(cw: altered mental states, suggestibility, increased libido)

Thanks to the rain, the Down is uncomfortably wet, and much of the shoddy and crumbling infrastructure is especially prone to leaks and even flooding. The city-provided Submissive housing isn't immune to these issues, and LIEs, being ever so "helpful," are handing out free buckets, duct tape, and an assortment of varyingly useful tools to patch up the leaks and clear out water. It's up to newcomers and other LIERs who might be living in the Down to deal with the problem themselves.

Chatter begins to swirl in the Up — it's that time of year again, where those who are looking for an easy contract should take advantage of the desperation of those dealing with less-than-ideal living conditions in the Down. Whether these good samaritans wish to go into the Down to help out is up to them, of course, but the rumors aren't unfounded. Prolonged exposure to the runoff water in the Down, courtesy of all that flooding, leaves Submissives feeling particularly desperate and keen to please, unable to help throwing themselves at the first Dominant they see. Willing to do anything is an understatement, and those under the influence are incredibly susceptible, perhaps even easily manipulated into going along with whatever a Dominant may suggest, even if it's something they would normally object to. It also doesn't help that Submissives are needy in other ways too, as if a switch has been flipped for their libido. Some may even find themselves physically wet and ready to get it on.

« « « SLEEP UNDER THE STARS

(cw: potential transactional sex)

With the provided Submissive housing being rather miserable and soggy, despite attempts to patch leaks and keep things dry, LIEs has taken pity on the newcomers and provided them a drier alternative.

On the edge of the woods in the Up, there are a series of tents that have been set up for uncontracted Submissives to use if they wish, but the conditions there aren't much better by comparison. Amenities are, understandably, meager, with each tent only containing one sleeping bag and pillow apiece. There are a few old pots and utensils available if individuals want to attempt to cook over a campfire, but beyond that they're on their own.

Submissives in search of a nicer place to sleep for an evening or two have the option to perform acts of service for a Dominant, who, in return, will be permitted to purchase them a stay at a nearby hotel at a discount. Dominants are encouraged to offer their services for Submissives who wish to comply. If Dominants are feeling extra generous, they can invite these soggy Subs to stay with them instead for a short duration — although the expectation from LIEs is that a contract will be signed by the end of this temporary sleepover, of course.

» » » 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 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:

All new arrivals on this TDM are 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 tag on 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

It is understandable. I have been here for years but I remember how it bothered me at first.

( so, she decides to be nice. she will not needle kate too much. )

It is a strange city. Understatement. But, I think you will do all right once you calm down.

Years? [ That was the wrong thing to say if the goal was for Kate to calm down. Her breathing picks up and she looks at Yelena like she is expecting a correction any second now. When it doesn't come, she slides into full, desperate denial. ] No, that can't be right. I saw you last night!

( oh dear.

yelena grimaces. yes, that had been a bit of a sloppy thing to say but it's out there now. )

Yes, you probably did. How did I look? Did I look good?

( avoiding the explanation, yep. )

You looked— [ Kate pauses to give her answer some serious thought. ] I mean, yeah, you looked good. Not everyone can pull off that dark lip thing but it was great on you.

[ When it comes back to her, she stomps a foot on the ground and inches back enough to point a finger without jabbing it into Yelena's face. ] You're trying to distract me!

I do not want you having a freak out right here and now. Come, come to my house. I'll tell you things there.

( and they could get out of the rain. )

Unless you would prefer to stay here and have your clothes slowly disappear? A nice view, certainly, but it might be uncomfortable for you.

[ "A nice view" resounds in the back of Kate's mind. She shakes her head like she can force heat rising in her cheeks to recede. ]

I can't lose this suit. [ It has no functional use here apart from emotional support but it is brand new and custom and Kate would really hate for it to disintegrate. Almost more than she would hate being naked on the street. ] Which way is your house?

Come along, Kate Bishop. We are not far.

( and then she starts walking, expecting kate to follow. she'll need to if she wants to stay underneath the umbrella. )

It is good to see you. I know you just saw me last night, you say, but it has been some time since I've seen you.

Yup, you said. Years, huh? [ She tries to keep her tone light and breezy, as if she can't feel the proverbial walls closing in on all sides. Keeping herself and Lucky under Yelena's umbrella is much more of a challenge when they're in motion, and Kate ends up bumping into Yelena more than a few times. Each time, she gives a feeble: ] Sorry!

Stop apologizing.

( if the worst thing that happens to her today is kate bumping into her, she is having a good day. )

But yes, years. I do not remember the exact number. Maybe two? Going on three. It has been a long time.

[ Kate makes a long, drawn out whistling sound when she hears that estimate. ]

Yeesh.

That's uh, that is a solid chunk of time there, yeah.

[ Is she breathing fast? It feels like she's breathing fast.

No, she's fine. She'll be fine. She just really hates that for Yelena. ]

It is. But, I try to not think about it.

( besides, she knows that she gets to see her sister here. and while she knows she can't stay here forever, she's taking advantage while she can.

yelena shrugs a shoulder. )

It has not been all bad. Sometimes, things are not terrible. Sometimes, you have fun. And there are a lot of pretty people here to admire.

Yeah. Sure. [ The very prospect of enjoying herself here and what that would likely entail makes Kate want to burst into flames or bouts of nervous giggling but she keeps her cool. She is calm, collected. She is the very picture of Thisisfine dot JPEG. ] I can see how it might be fun sometimes, as long as you don't think too hard about anything. This is just not quite the sexual awakening I expected during my college years.

What kind of sexual awakening did you expect?

( look, kate had brought it up. yelena thinks that means she's allowed to ask and so she does. )

Something a little more normal, I assume?

Oh, you know— [ Kate cuts herself off abruptly, it just now occurring to her that Yelena may not actually know. Okay, never mind. She waves that thought away. ]

It's just, it's a thing people say, like a joke except it's rooted in truth a lot of the time. Your college years are supposed to be for experimenting, and for a lot of women, it's— Well, it's usually where they have their first, uh, girl-on-girl experience.

Interesting.

( she, of course, hadn't had the typical experience of being in college and going through all that. she'd had to catch up. )

I did not go to university, obviously, so my first girl on girl experience was here.

( she doesn't elaborate further though to save poor kate's cheeks from flaming red. )

[ Unfortunately, Kate Bishop never met a boundary that she didn't want to push, so as much as Yelena might have intended to spare her, she is determinedly digging herself into a hole. ]

Oh! That's— [ If there are words for what that is, she doesn't have them. ] So it was— I mean, you were—

[ She clears her throat as if it will also reset her brain and mouth. Finally, the best she can do is: ] Good experience? Fun had by all?

Yes, it was very nice.

( yelena can't help but smile and slant a sly look at kate. )

The other person definitely knew what they were doing. It was good, fun was had by all, and it was definitely something I'd do again.

[ That answers the question that Kate didn't have the guts to ask head on: she would do it again. Kate nods in something like agreement, or acknowledgment, or maybe just to help her body burn off some of that nervous thrill humming through her. ]

Cool. [ Her voice sounds high-pitched to her own ears. ] Cool cool cool. Coooooooooooolio.

Why do you sound like that, Kate Bishop?

( yelena thinks she knows and she's really not sure if telling kate exactly who the first time had been with would help.

it would probably freak her out. but, a kate bishop had been here before and they had been contracted.

so. )

Are you all right?

[ Kate gives a look that plainly says "Who, me?" as if it's strange of Yelena to ask, like her concern came from nowhere instead of being directly informed by Kate's behavior. Get a grip, she tells herself.

The most embarrassing thing about this is that Kate isn't a blushing virgin at all. She brought up the college thing because it was a quippy thing to say but Kate attended an all-girls private school before that. She had her first girl-on-girl experience well before college because she has never been shy about going after what she wants. Except, for some annoying reason, for right now.

(She knows the annoying reason: it's because she actually cares what Yelena makes of her. Yelena became someone Kate wanted to impress from their first conversation.) ]

I'm fine. [ Okay, better. She actually sounds like she believes it. ] So how far is this house of yours?

I do not think I believe you.

( but she decides not to push it. you are welcome, kate. instead, she keeps walking until her cottage comes into view. she nods at it. )

That's it. Nice, isn't it? All mine. Well, I share it with those I am contracted with. It's theirs too.

Ah. And is that a those as in those are their pronouns or a those as in multiple, uh, multiples? [ Kate thinks she does a pretty great job of sounding casual and totally unfazed. ] Either of which is totally cool. And not that I even think my approval matters here, by the way, just— Oh, hey, we're here!

It's three men.

( she has to laugh, once again, at the way kate seems to be walking on the most fragile of eggshells. )

Steve, Barry and Noah. They needed the help and I was able to help them. But yes, we are here.

( yelena goes up to the door and opens it up, letting kate step in and out of the rain. )

Come on, go in. Get out of the rain before you end up naked.

Oh. That's actually really nice. [ Kate looks pleasantly surprised. The last time they met (which for Kate was yesterday) Yelena was on her bloodthirsty vigilante shit. Helping people for the sake of it is a welcome new direction.

As she steps inside, Kate looks around appreciatively. ] Cottagecore, huh? Always a top tier aesthetic choice.

I thought it was fitting.

( yelena shuts the door and then folds up the umbrella before she brushes past kate and finds her way to the couch so she can flop down. )

The apartments in the Up are not bad but they are not very private. So, once I was able to, I found my own place. Come and sit down. Stop looming.

TDM #36

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