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duplicitymemes2025-03-10 04:55 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2025-03-10 04:55 pm
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TDM #41
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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. 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. The first hints of spring are in the air. Large piles of snow still linger, but precipitation has turned to rain and the breeze gets a little warmer every day. It's time to swap out wool coats for umbrellas and turtlenecks for tea dresses! |
 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: cockwarming, lap sitting, frottage, edging, public sexual acts, public displays, public transport) Far too many people can’t seem to follow directions. Reading a map shouldn’t be that hard, so LIES has taken it upon themselves to update their usual city tour to refresh newcomers and graduates alike. This month’s orientation includes a more in-depth tour than the usual train ride, coupling it with bus routes that lead groups through various stations and stops that show off some of the city’s most notable landmarks. To your left you will see Fiddler's Square, and over on the right you will see the greenhouse, opened just last year. Enjoy this drive along the coast! The beach looks lovely and the lighthouse stands proud and watchful, but the city recommends against visiting either one. Isn't the business district much lovelier, with all the fancy hotels and lively dance clubs? Dominants and Submissives both new and old are required to take or give the tour at least once, depending on how long they have been in the city. Those who have lived in the city for over six months will find themselves given maps to follow and brochures that describe various places in town; they are paired with newcomers who haven't been here quite as long, and are still learning what the city has to offer them. Whether a tour guide or a member of the tour group, Dominants will be given priority seating, while Submissives are expected to either kneel at their feet, sit on their laps, or even stay standing in trains and buses that, curiously, are always packed. Everyone’s taking these tours, so it's no wonder these carriages are so crowded. Something strange happens on these tours, though. It starts small and faint, but the longer you spend in these crowded buses and trains, the hotter you feel - and the people surrounding you look more and more attractive. But this is Duplicity, and no one will bat an eye if the Submissive on a Dominant’s lap starts humping them in front of everyone else… After all, it seems like everyone else is already also doing the same. The strange part? No one can get off. No matter how far you take it, or how long you try to climax - you just can't. No one can. No one's getting off on this tour, not until the bus or train makes it to each pre-planned stop. Please mind the gap as you disembark, and try not to come all over the concrete the minute you step out of the vehicle! |
 (cw: randomized kinks, exhibitionism, transactional sex) The tours aren't all about sex on the go. While the tour guides are given maps and brochures to study up on, the tour-takers are given little stamp cards and instructions to complete a fun stamp rally. Visiting each of the locations on your card can get you an adorable stamp, and completing the stamps will get you a fun and useful prize! Participating locations include: ▪️ The Aquarium ▪️ The Library ▪️ Cupid's Castle ▪️ PUSSY Academy ▪️ The Obelisk ▪️ Riddler's Square ...and more! Every card is different, and will take you all around the Up and the Down. The catch - you don't get a stamp until you use your device to scan an official code found in stamp stands at each stop. Doing so brings up a pose to be done with at least one other person. Make sure to pose quickly, a camera somewhere in the area will flash in a few moments to take your photo. Some photos are fairly straightforward - a kiss to the cheek, or a slap to the ass. Others are a bit more involved - giving a blowjob, or getting pegged. Don't complain, some unlucky people might get something convoluted (can anyone truly bend that way? Time to find out!). You get unlimited tries to take the perfect picture - so if you don't manage it the first time, simply scan again and strike another pose. Unfortunately the pose won't change with any additional scans, so make sure to do your best with what you’ve been given! Completed stamp cards can be exchanged at the Orientation Center for a loaded money pass! Particularly valuable to Submissives (uncontracted ones, or ones who want to buy things by themselves), money passes are honored all over the city, and can be used to purchase necessities without a Dominant’s signature. The pass is valid for a whole month, and has enough to cover a month’s worth of decent warm meals, a few indulgences, and maybe some appropriate clothes for the season. Buy whatever you need to impress the Dominant of your dreams and secure a contract that suits your needs. |
 (cw: clothes play, optional crossdressing, optional transactional sex, public sex, mirror sex, exhibitionism) In a bid to attract new customers, the boutique Delicate Desires has partnered with LIES to advertise their shops as a one-stop-shop for new arrivals to get their hands on necessities they’ll need to make their lives easier and more enriched. With every completed stamp card, Submissives will also receive a coupon for 40% off anything in the store. Get a frilly, lacy outfit for every occasion! If you don’t have any cash or failed to complete your stamp card - don’t fret! Find another Submissive who is willing to spend money on you from their own pass, or find a Dominant to spoil you - with the outfit being one of their choice, of course. There are changing rooms available for customers to try on outfits and one may find that when they look at themselves in the mirrors of the store, their self-confidence spikes. It doesn’t matter how good or bad they may objectively look, they’ll feel like the hottest person to ever grace Duplicity’s streets. If said boost in confidence comes with feeling hot and bothered, well, the clerks won’t mind if the rooms are used for a quickie, so long as you’re, well, quick about it. They're expecting a lot of customers! A competing store next door, Allure & Adorn, has decided to use this opportunity to try and lure customers into their own shop, boasting that their clothes are just as good - if not better! - than the ones offered next door. They will also accept the money passes that Submissives may have earned during the stamp rally, but their prices are a little less favorable than the boutique's. Their outfits, instead of their mirrors, seem to make those that wear them feel prone to showing off and indulging in exhibitionist activities. No fucking in the changing rooms here though - this store has class! Go out on the streets if you wish to indulge in that sort of behaviour. |
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!! |
Stamp And Go Wildcard!
Someone, in this case, turns out to be a drow who's struggling to scan the code at the stand. Not one she knows and was secretly hoping to see, but a more welcome sight than most when she's so used to humans of various Earths rather than people like those of her world. A soft, rueful smile pulls at her lips as she steps over to him, hand extended from beneath her half cloak to reveal an open palm and the standard-issue cuff from the city about her wrist.]
Here. I can show you how to scan it and help you get a stamp, if you'd like the assistance. If they ask too much, you're welcome to tell me so and we can ignore it together. Or take out the cameras they have hidden, if you feel the need to get back at them.
[She shouldn't wear her anger at the city on her sleeve like this, but fuck this city. It's taken enough from her lately that she'll take any and every excuse to give back even a little of the pain they've visited on her. It's not like a fine for destroying a camera is going to stop her anyway.]
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Well, perhaps his frustration is showing a bit when he attempts to use his device in the way he's been directed and it continuously refuses to work. The woman who approaches him is absent the mark on her throat that would denote Submissive status, but she has a kind offer, and her contempt for the city is refreshing when he's been subject to nothing but a deluge of propaganda all day. Though accepting charity rankles his innate pride, and he would be a fool to trust a stranger's motivations at face value, he is hardly in a position to refuse. Proceed with caution, then. ]
While the latter is far more appealing, your assistance would be appreciated. [ Essek is matter-of-fact and slightly wry, but a keen observer might detect a subtle sense of abashment as well. He is a prodigy; for him, to be seen struggling at anything is an embarrassment. His wrist is already extended, his sleeve folded back just far enough to expose the cuff around it. ] This technology is unlike anything I am familiar with.
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His struggles are noticed, but not commented on. Amelia remembers this kind of struggle when she arrived, the hours she spent seated on the floor of the city-provided apartment learning how to use the damn thing. It didn't come naturally and it was only through meticulous, daily practice that she got to be as good at it as she is now. She would never begrudge someone who's unused to technology of this sort their inability to use it so soon after arriving.]
I've only encountered things like it here. Where I'm from, light is from candles and lanterns or magic. Running water exists only in streams or rivers. [Another small smile for him.] It takes time to get used to it.
[Slowly, she walks him through the steps of navigating the apps until he seems to mostly understand. Their tour bus leaves without them and she draws no attention to it. There's always another and the noisy things are on a tight schedule. They can get on the next one. Eventually they get to scanning the code and getting a prompt for a pose: on your knees and give your partner a kiss! Amelia's brow furrows for a moment before she gives it a questioning look.]
That's it? All this effort for something so simple? What the hells kind of ask is that anyway? [She rolls her eyes and offers Essek his device.] I'd wager we get to choose the kind of kiss, but as I said, you get to choose if we do it. I'm not keen on playing their games without everyone's consent.
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Then it seems our homes have more in common with one another than with this city.
[ The personal tutorial he receives on the device's functionality would be invaluable on its own, and Essek is not disappointed to be left behind by the bus in the meantime. Temporary as it may be, this is an escape. He also proves a quick study. Alien as this technology is, it will take some getting used to, but his grasp on what the device is capable of and how to operate it on a basic level is much improved.
The implication of her baffled response to their assigned pose is that she finds it shockingly tame, which is bad news for him. If he is considered prudish even by Kryn standards, what does that make him here? He can stomach the embarrassment involved in getting to his knees and offering a kiss of his choosing when weighed against the promised rewards, but there is a high likelihood that he will quickly come up against something he cannot bring himself to do. With his brow similarly furrowed, he returns his device to his wrist. Whatever his concerns, he cannot abandon the effort before he's begun. The thing to do right now at least is obvious. Cautiously resolute, he agrees, ]
It is an unusual pose, but I am willing. Let us see if a kiss on the cheek will suffice.
[ This is likely the point where she will realize that all this time he has been hovering several inches in the air, concealed by the drape of his long cloak. When his feet touch the ground and he ends the spell, he's gone from slightly taller than her to several inches shorter with her boots taken into account. The square around them is bustling, and after a somewhat self-conscious glance around them, Essek sidesteps closer to the stand itself and further out of the path of foot traffic. With a sweep of dark, heavy fabric, he sinks to his knees before he can think too much about it. ]
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[What is his world like, she wonders. Is he perhaps from Chris' world? Or Caleb's? It's unlikely he's from hers as she can't immediately place his accent. All the better, because she might throw herself too hard into her work of running the streets red if that were true. If another member of her Family were to be brought here again...
She exhales slowly to clear her head then arches a brow at him.] The cheek? But that's not-- Oh!
[How clever a thing. Amelia laughs brightly, impressed that she'd both managed not to notice he was hovering before and also that he manages to do so now with such ease. She turns herself to present her cheek while facing them toward the nearest camera. When the click of the machine preparing to take the picture sounds, she leans a little closer. If she times this right, they'll only have to do one take. Then she can ask the many, many questions on her mind now that he's revealed his incredible skills.]
Now, [she whispers.] Kiss me now.
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The urgency of the moment demands swift action, and he takes it. Otherwise, they will have to do this all over again. Leaning in to close the remainder of the short distance between them, he touches his lips to her offered cheek with such precise formality that it could almost be called clinical. Brief as this is, he has time to make several objective observations: her skin is warm, she is still smiling, and she smells quite nice.
His eyelids have lowered, but not closed, so he registers the bright flash of the camera capturing their image with both satisfaction at completing an objective and a sharp spike of pain shooting from his eyes to the back of his skull. The light sensitivity common to all drow has been an issue when spending time in the Up, which is why he's chosen to venture out mostly in the evening when he can help it. Otherwise he is stuck wearing his hood up, using a map to shade his eyes, and still squinting at everything. At least his time spent in Eiselcross has taught him how to save his skin from sunburn.
With the bright white afterimage seared into the back of his eyelids, Essek sways to his feet and back a half step. Ducking his head down, his thumb and middle finger pinch the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tight and jaw tense in a pained wince. Almost instinctively, he rises back into a gentle float with a brief gesture from the hand at his side. ]
Apologies. I was unprepared for that. [ He speaks without opening his eyes, his polite tone strained. ] Was the picture ruined?
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The flash goes off and before he has a chance to stumble, she's turning to give him space again. When he does falter, her hands are ready to catch him. She doesn't touch, instead staying ready to guide him upright or keep him from falling completely. Whether that helps him or not, she follows him and stays alert for any assistance he may need.]
You've no need to apologize. Even if you'd fallen into me, I would have been able to catch you. [She's lithe but strong beneath her linen clothes and leather bodice. Her hands remain outstretched, tracing the air above his arms and shoulders.] The picture will be fine. It's captured instantly once the light goes off. [The light which seems to have caused the problem. She frowns softly.]
What do you need to recover? I can see you to wherever you need to be.
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You have been a tremendous help to me as it is. This will pass momentarily.
[ Both hands reach back to draw his hood up. Heavy and fur-lined, like the rest of his cloak, it is too warm in this climate, but deep enough to cast a shadow over his face. Cautiously, his eyes blink open and flicker up to her. The afterimage hasn't completely faded, his eyes sting in a way that warns him this may become a headache later, and it would probably be wise for him to spend some time indoors. But he can see, and he doesn't need to be led about by a concerned citizen. ]
You were glad to learn that we come from similar places. [ This observation may seem like a non-sequitur, but to him this seems like the time--perhaps the only time--to offer something in return. ] If I have not imposed too much on your time already, perhaps this is something we could discuss?
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We could, if you like. [She pauses a moment to look over the pamphlet given to her and then gestures in a direction.] Come, we can walk to the next stop and check in there so no one's the wiser that we chose not to get back on that damned bus.
[A beat as she chuckles.] Or float, in your case. Is that kind of magic common where you're from? I've seen wizards and sorcerers levitate for short periods of time if they concentrate on only that, but nothing like what you're doing now. Though I must admit I didn't spend so much time in any single one's company to learn much about it.
[The lady had things to do and they weren't walking around asking wizards all the questions that were inevitably on her mind. She's taking full advantage of the option to do so now that she has the chance.]
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Very well.
[ His agreement comes with a slight incline of his head, formal and polite, before they set off. He floats along smoothly beside her, once again at a height similar to hers. Her question receives a soft hum, and beneath the shadow of his hood, the corners of his mouth quirk up just enough to be called a smile--one with a hint of pride behind it, which is reflected in his voice. ]
It is not common. I created this spell myself. Levitation is transmutative, directly altering the physicality of the target so that it becomes lighter, and as you say, lasts only a short time. In contrast, this-- [ A hand appears from beneath his cloak, indicating the space between his feet and the ground with a subtly sweeping gesture. ] --is a sustained manipulation of the way gravity interacts with my person. My body has not changed, but the gravitational force being exerted upon it has been reduced relative to its mass. Hence, I float.
[ The hand disappears again, and Essek glances away from her, looking ahead. Since he must keep his eyes lowered for now, that means looking at the ground. ] If that was a more in-depth explanation than you were seeking, I apologize.
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She laughs brightly when he apologizes.] Please, I asked and that means I wanted a full answer. I don't do anything halfway. [A fact that gets her in trouble quite often, especially here in this strange and fucked up city.] Let me assure you that if anything is ever too much, you'll not be able to finish your explanation before I cut in to tell you.
[Ah, that reminds her that she's been terrible about her manners. Another thing that can bite her in the ass if she lets it. She chuckles to herself and inclines her head.] I'm Amelia, by the way. Circumstances being what they are, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I know too few wizards and sorcerers here.
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Ah, yes. I am Essek.
[ Omitting his title and den name feels like stripping away parts of himself, though perhaps it is best to become used to it now. Back in Exandria it is all but certain that neither will be his for much longer. ]
You may add one more wizard to that count, at least. And you have my thanks, Amelia, for your help and your candor.
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My second here, then. [She makes a small, thoughtful hmm sound as she guides them down a particularly shaded set of streets.] I wonder if the two of you are from similar worlds. Have you heard of Exandria since your arrival? Or perhaps know of a place called Deismyr?
[It can't hurt to ask if he knows of the places those she cares for come from.]
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I am unfamiliar with Deismyr, but Exandria is my home.
[ The pieces fall into place quickly. Given what he is already aware of, if he is the second wizard she's met here and the other is from Exandria, there is only one possibility. ]
You must know Caleb Widogast.
[ Underlying the more overt pleasant surprise in this statement is a quiet curiosity. Essek's reactions and feelings are muted or concealed entirely by his reserved demeanor, but this is a glimpse at something more personal beneath, hinting at the wealth of personality and emotion that pleasant but aloof affect may conceal. ]
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I do. He's a good friend of mine and recently moved into a new home not far from mine. He's indulged many of my curiosities about magic over his time here. Perhaps a little too much with how many questions I have at all times. [She laughs at herself, but there's no embarrassment to be had. She knows she can dig into a topic more than someone may want to purely because she feels the need to know everything she can about how things work.]
I take it you were friends back home? I've not asked him much about it because I know how heavy it can be to speak of those you miss when they can't be with you. [Her smile warms as she looks at Essek.] All for the better, I think. I'd like to know you for you without his opinions swaying mine.