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duplicitymemes2025-07-10 11:44 am
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2025-07-10 11:44 am
Entry tags:
TDM #43
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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 full heat of Summer is in full swing, but there is a pleasant breeze that comes off the sea, bringing with it much needed relief from the warmth of the sun. |
 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: random kink, behavioral modification) The oppressive heat of summer eases its grip on Duplicity with a cool breeze blowing in from the sea. A soothing wind rushes through the Up and the Down, bringing a blanket of cool that should help chill any hot tempers spiking around the new requirements for local businesses. While wet t-shirt contests and flashy pool parties start to wind down, people find the weather more agreeable and spend more and more time outdoors. Orientation adjusts accordingly, with LIEs deciding to use the weather to their advantage when it seems like people just can't seem to stay indoors for long. The basics of Orientation still happen at the Center, but they decide to incorporate a little outside time and arts and crafts into the mix. Characters will find themselves paired with someone of the opposite designation for a quick but fun bonding activity: kite-building and kite flying. Pairs are given a somewhat unhinged instruction sheet, a set of curated crafting materials, and one hour to build a Compatibility Kite. Most of the materials are basic and typical for simple kite making, but some of them may raise eyebrows: silk fabric, bold red ribbons, black lace… Meanwhile, the instructions for both building and flying the kite are vague, but oddly intimate: Hold tension while knotting., Maintain eye contact and hold your partner steady., Position your body behind your partner for better reach... While the design of the kite is completely up to the participants, LIEs does provide one requirement. Pairs are asked to choose one from several lively colored kite tails to tie to each completed kite. Each one has a single word printed in bold, glimmering text, such as: OBEDIENCE, PRAISE, CONTROL, EDGE, ROPE, PATIENCE, PASSION, SLEEP, CONTRITION, FAITH, SPICE, and more. There's no explanation as to what these mean or how they must be chosen, just that one word should be tied to their project. After an hour, all characters are brought outside, onto a bus, and to Chicanery Beach. Under the watchful eye of LIES staff who keep their distance from the shoreline, everyone gets to let their kites fly! Getting one up into the air is a two-person job, so work together and get it up into the sky without crashing into others. Hopefully it works, because anyone who can't seem to get it up or crash a little too soon will be given strict notice to attend Orientation all over again. Those whose kites successfully sail into the sky will get a check on their names. But as the words on the kite tails unfurl and flutter through the wind, characters will find themselves imbued with the desire and drive to embody or put the trait on their kite into practice: with their partner, or with anyone they may next encounter. This desire lingers past sunset and can last well over a week until one isn't sure if it's an artificial influence or something they'd truly wanted all this time. |
 (cw: pheromones, scents, stalking, dub-con, exhibitionism, breeding kink, stuffing, size kink, sexual exhaustion, rough sex, gags, biting, marking) The winds persist throughout the summer, and they bring more than just the scent of salt and sunscreen through the air. As July makes its way into August, a very subtle change descends on everyone: for an indiscernible reason, everyone's pheromones seem to surge, and everyone will look irresistibly attractive. For those with the senses and skills to pick it up, it will be as if characters exude a different aura entirely, just begging to be bred or fucked. For others who can't tell - it manifests instead as distinct, vaguely familiar and very attractive scents that carry over the wind. Characters will have one or two scents that are most obvious and most irresistible to them. Catching just a whiff of these scents will have them follow their trails all over the Up and the Down until they find who is waiting at the source, someone they will feel the need to throw themselves at. But since people don't know what scent they themselves are giving off, they may not even know why they're being pursued even if they can tell that someone has been following them. Unbeknownst to everyone, certain scents will have specific influences that take effect on either (or both!) person once they finally meet. - Cinnamon: The need to fuck them in front of a mirror or a window, or anywhere that their reflection can be seenActing on the influence at least once will satisfy the need… for a time. The scents can always rile a person up all over again. Maybe a perfume or an artificial scent will mask them, at least for a while, but soon the pheromones will overpower any attempts to hide them. |
 (cw: personality shift, behavior modification, dom/sub behaviors) A new trend makes its way to Duplicity's native shopkeepers and citizens alike in the Up and Down: wind chimes to hang up on their patios, windows, and balconies. The chimes are black and white in design, many of them sporting artful swirls and spirals that clink and ring in the wind. There doesn’t seem to be anything dubious about the chimes upon first glance, but the more one hears them, the more their effects become apparent. While not everyone seems affected, those who are susceptible to the bell-like sounds will find that the larger, lower frequency chimes amplify a person’s worst trait while the smaller, higher frequency wind chimes do the opposite, amplifying an individual’s best personality trait instead. However, unbeknownst to anyone, some of the chimes are dupes (hah) smuggled in from the neighbouring city of Insincerity, the black and white spiral motifs seeming to move and swirl even when they remain still. Their effects are a little different, as they cause Dominants to act subservient and Submissives to act haughty and demanding of their betters. All these effects are short-lived and last no more than an hour. But considering the prevalence of the chimes throughout the city, the potential for erratic personalities is increased tenfold. More alarmingly, it seems that no one is safe from the effects of the twisted contraband chimes. People - LIERs and natives alike - who act out of designation may be approached by LIES or SIN guards with stern warnings or threats of taking them to Realignment at the SLUT Center, and they take any explanation in good faith. |
» » » TLDR
So, what's happening?UP AND AWAY
FOLLOW YOUR NOSE
NOTES ON THE WIND
|
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 prefers grand gestures, they are a Submissive. If your character prefers small surprises, 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 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!! |
no subject
[But worse could happen and has happened, so Finn is able to recover from his alarm rather quickly, in this case.]
Here, I'll show you. I was just finishing a delivery and heading back there, so you're more than welcome to come with me. I know it's kind of surprising, but there's plenty of normal stores in the city when you know where to look.
[And since she was a dominant, she wouldn't have to worry about getting turned away at the door.]
no subject
[Maya brightens a little more, her hands clenched in happy little fists.]
You'd be my hero! I am dying to get some tea and I do not know where to look.
[she hurries to fall into pace beside Finn. it really is relieving, so it's easy to keep up the friendly attitude.]
I'm Maya Fey. I just showed up like, a couple days ago or something? It's— yeah.
[the laugh she gives totally isn't nervous, because things are so fine right now, actually. everything smells really nice, and it's making her feel like this guy is someone she definitely wants to be around— though she's just mistaking that for her naturally flawless judgement.]
You probably know how it is.
no subject
Finn Ames. I've been here for just over a year now, but...yeah, I know what you mean. It's a lot to take in.
[Not that it was really his store to be offering this, but ultimately he didn't think Rayne would mind, so...]
Whatever tea sounds good to you, it's on the house for today. I think we have some sweets in the kitchen, too, if you want anything to go with it.
no subject
That would be amazing!
Boy, am I lucky I ran into you.
[so far, anyway. with how nice Finn smells, though, Maya really can't even begin to doubt his motives— so it probably is lucky he's the one she ran into.]
You must be pretty much an expert after a year, though,
[she notes, and that comes across just a little less confident. with all that it seems could happen here... a year might actually be a lot to deal with, huh?]
no subject
And then she makes the other comment and he nearly trips over himself. stammering at once. Being an "expert" here kind of meant one thing in particular.]
Oh--uh! I-I don't know about all that. I, um, I get by somehow! R-really just kind of taking one day at a time, you know? You never know what you're gonna wake up and have to deal with--not that it's that bad or anything! Just, um, unpredictable!
no subject
Yeah... I think I get what you mean.
[what was the point in fighting it all? Maya'd already believed she'd died, and even though she was terrified when she'd shown up here without Phoenix, she's come to be rather grateful he doesn't have to deal with this since.
what more was there to do, when it really felt there was nothing she could do?
she could give up entirely, or she could go with the motions. walk around town. go to a teashop. act like it's all normal, like Labyrinthia wasn't hard enough to reconcile without Duplicity to follow it. at least then, she'd meet people like Finn, who know more about what's going on.]
Well, what's youuuur favorite part about the city, then?
[there has to be some good in it. Maya is trying desperately to find it, and... maybe Finn has a clue.]
no subject
Mine? Well...I guess I don't get out a lot these days outside of going between work and home. It's hard to do much without a Dominant to go with you in the Up, and it's really dangerous in the Down...
[But that was such a defeatist answer, so Finn gives it another moment of thought.]
I really like the North Park. Anyone's allowed to spend time there, and it's so peaceful. There are all kinds of different flowers to look at.
[And just like that, they've arrived at Bunny's Brew & Botanical Burrow. Finn opens the door for her so she can go in ahead of them...and pretty much immediately, it's obvious that this is way more than just a tea shop. All manner of esoteric items stock the shelves, from crystals to fortune-telling items to various odd-looking trinkets and ingredients. Behind the counter, however, are a plethora of tea blends on display.]
Here we are...go ahead and pick out whatever you like and I'll get the kettle going. There's a sitting area in the garden out back, if you want to drink out there.
no subject
flowers at North Park, huh? she's not much one for flowery things herself, but she can appreciate the peace they bring to others.
she holds that answer in her head but carries on with him without offering much more perspective on it as the shop Finn leads her to fascinates Maya the moment she lays eyes on it.
she wanders in with all the wonder of a child seeing a candy shop for the first time. it was even more expansive than Master Belduke's apothecary in Labyrinthia. was this what it would have been like there, if magic hadn't been a crime?]
Yooooooooo!
This place is so cool!
You totally undersold the aesthetic!
[Maya hurries further in to look at their tea selections as if she's a regular, free of hesitation.]
Outside sounds great! Let's do that!
[there are a lot of blends, though... Maya spends a few moments scanning before ultimately deciding she knows the taste of each of them about as much as the other; exactly zero. it's a wild card regardless, so she closes her eyes, points to one, and picks.]
no subject
[But, thinking about it, she could've smelled something from the candles, too...ah, well. Finn gives a bashful laugh as he heads over to the blend that she selected to take it toward the kitchen. Whether she follows or keeps browsing the store, it's small enough that they should be able to talk to each other just fine.]
I guess its really more of a magic supply shop over anything else. The teas are kind of a secondary product...they're still good, though!
no subject
[it would be pretty dumb for it to all be just for the aesthetic, but the only glimpse of 'real' magic she's ever seen was... a special case, to say the least. at least, outside of showing up here. she does follow, though, her curiosity tempered by the desire to stay near someone having a nice conversation with her. without Phoenix around, it's hard to feel secure, even in a place she's so fascinated with.]
I never thought about what kind of stuff people who do magic would actually need, to like, do it, you know?
Or— I guess if you can do magic, maybe you don't....
no subject
[Back home, its the kind of thing anyone would understand (except for someone like Mash, of course), but Finn's been in Duplicity long enough to understand that not only were there plenty of people who came here from worlds where most didn't have magical capabilities--there were worlds where magic didn't exist at all. He had no problem explaining things now, understanding at once she might fall into that latter category.]
I can do magic, just not very well. Where I come from, almost everyone is born with at least minor magical capabilities.
[After Finn gets the kettle going, he turns toward her and points to the line on his face.]
The amount of lines we have indicates our overall magical ability. Most basic spells only require practice and proper training, but it really does depend on what you're trying to do.
no subject
[Maya really does seem fascinated, bright eyed and interested, leaning in a little closer to check out that line. one might be tempted to blame it on that pretty smell she still swears she smells on him but it's really just her natural tendency to get up in people's spaces.
at the very least, she doesn't touch his face, and she's only so close for a few moments.]
That's so cool!
Iiii can't say magic is exactly common where I'm from,
[buuut even in Labyrinthia where magic was 'real', Maya wasn't sure the whole medium thing would go over well, so she doesn't mention it. It almost feels weird being somewhere magic is allowed after being in Labyrinthia for a few weeks...]
so special abilities like that are super interesting to me.
no subject
[He also is definitely, totally not blushing that she got all up in his face there. It's fine! He can be normal around girls! He's not, like, Dot or Abyss.]
The people they bring in come from all sorts of worlds, so it's pretty normal for all of us to learn things about each other that are completely surprising. Like, most of the technology here is way more advanced than anything I could've imagined myself.
no subject
Magical settings always seem so old-timey in books and movies... but now that you mention it?
The cellphones around here are way different than what I'm used to, too.
[her phone back home folds up too, but it certainly feels primitive in comparison.]