TDM #1

[duplicitymods]

« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »

« « « OUT OF CLUTTER FIND SIMPLICITY

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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 L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues.

» » » LIES TRAVEL IN COMPANY

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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.

« « « END IN THE DISCORD

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While the societal climate between Dominants and Submissives remains somewhat neutral throughout Duplicity, there has been the occasional whisper of defiance and call for equality. Yet, demonstrations and visible proof of this unhappiness spreads faster by word of mouth on a day exactly when you need it most. Welcome to Autonomy, a "traveling" nightclub that is never in the same place twice. People wanting to attend only learn of its lucrative location and password hours before it opens for business. Tonight, I choose the third door will get you inside and into the temporary freedom club Autonomy has to offer. In this circle, there are no assigned designations and no consequences for taking a role that isn't the one given by society. So, a Dominant may become the Submissive they've always wanted to be—or vice versa. Dominants and Submissives alike are able to mingle without repercussion and be themselves. Food, drinks, and private areas for more intimate – or if your preference is sexual – encounters are provided. Donations are accepted at any point during the night to further Autonomy's attempts of spreading the fulfillment that comes from being untitled. On the night you choose to visit, Autonomy is holding a random lottery for temporary connections. When entering, you have the choice of submitting your name into this drawing to be paired with someone else in the club regardless of designation. A short while later, a message will pop up on your device with the name and information of your partner, and whether or not you choose to meet them is purely at your discretion. Having more than one connection isn't completely unusual either.

» » » TABLE IT FOR LATER

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Gratification of being a successful Dominant or Submissive isn't necessarily simple. Learning curves are to be made, and mistakes will happen. Led by a Dominant and Submissive couple – Miriam and Victoria, who have been paired for twenty-two years – a monthly meeting for unattached Dominants and Submissives is held in the conference room of Morning Wood motel in the Down. The meeting starts a few minutes after nine and has no designated end time. The couple introduce themselves and explain the purpose of the meeting: learn the proper method for a new kink and possibly find your perfect partner. The space is intimate and well-stocked with refreshments. To begin, Victoria, while blindfolded, balances on her hands and knees with her back perfectly level. Her partner, when ready, places various items on the level surface–a full cup, a plate. The Submissive is meant to hold the items until the Dominant believes she's reached her limit. The exercise is one of trust and understanding. The demonstration is a short one, followed by Miriam removing the blindfold and soothing her Submissive. The words are whispered low and with care, clearly a method that is specific to this couple. The process is concluded with the pair handing out workups, videos, and answering questions. Anyone wishing to practice Purposeful Submission can do so in the open room with a random volunteer, aided by the couple, or can find someone to take to one of the rented rooms. Sex may follow any scene but is not necessarily included. Experimenting with unattached Dominants and Submissives allows for new relationships to form.

« « « MOD & OOC NOTES

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Please read carefully. On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles based on birthdays; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, character will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chose "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. For characters with a birthday falling in the months of January to June, their designation will be Dominant. For characters with a birthday falling in the months of July to December, their designation will be Submissive. For characters with an unknown birthday, their designation will be Dominant. Arrival into Duplicity has not been used as a prompt as it is a rather large part of introducing the game and will be saved for the first in-game log. But feel free to thread it on the TDM. Also, any locations throughout Duplicity are available for TDM prompts as well! Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!!

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» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Comments

[sealeted]

I can spare ten seconds.

[Her eyebrows lift slightly, but her expression remains idle. It'll be interesting to see if he makes good on that, if nothing else.]

1/2

[killful]

[ Yeah, okay.

Here come the first two, but it's not so much an encounter as it is an incident quickly forgotten: a punch to the gut, a shove of his palm, and a final strike to the chest sends one man flying back into the other following closely behind. The third conveniently runs into Assassin's elbow, which jabs deep into his ribs before he is pushed onto the bar. A fourth lackey attacks from Assassin's side, who the Servant quickly disposes of by throwing him over Hakuno and a few tables. Thinking his work is done, Assassin dusts his hands off and reaches for his drink... ]

[killful]

[Only to get trapped by a tall man's headlock. His feet barely touch the ground as he loses oxygen...]

Gh... Sorry, lady. I was never... good at math!

[Because if he can't move down, then the only way to go is up. Assassin breaks out of the man's hold with unnatural strength, climbs up with the grace of an acrobat, and before they both know it, he brings his opponent down with him, back flat on the floor with his head between his thighs.

He springs back on his feet without incident.]

Whew. How many seconds was that?

[Twelve.]

[sealeted]

Two over.

[She leans around him, inspecting his handywork and humming thoughtfully.]

...you know, if you grabbed your drink back and just used that to distract him, you might have actually made it in the limit.

[Trust her. She's dealt with plenty of bullshit time trials before.]

[killful]

Damn, why didn't I think of that?

[Because he was trying to show off like a moron.

For all the dejection he shows, he bounces back quickly. He snaps his fingers and points at her.]

I like you. What's your name?

[sealeted]

Heat of the moment?

[She shrugs, and hands him his unused drink back.]

I'm Hakuno Kishinami. And you?

[killful]

Hakuno, huh.

[He could give her his true name, but when he can't even find his Master, he can never be too safe.

He grins after a tug of his hair and a swig of his drink.]

Just call me Robin.

[sealeted]

As in 'Hood'?

[She tugs at one of her own forelocks.]

Huh. Small world. You still owe me one, by the way.

[killful]

Yeah, that one. [But his finger stops in its twist when she brings up debts. God, he hates debts.] I owe you what now? Oh.

[It's not that he forgot. He just didn't want to remember. He calls for a waiter to serve them another drink; the bartender is giving him the stinkeye for breaking a few glasses and scaring some customers.]

There you go. Don't say I don't steal anything for a reason.

[sealeted]

Oh, even smaller world. Master or Servant?

[She accepts her glass from the waiter with a grateful smile, and sips it slowly.]

Of course not, "Mr. Hood".

1/2

[killful]

[ He laughs. Robin's going to kill him.

But something else catches his attention. His eyes narrow, emerald as the forests he's never been to, but slowly the memory seeps into his mind like poison from the tips of his arrows. ]

Now, I wonder what you're talking about.

[killful]

[ She blinks and he's there, covered in that familiar shade of green. ] I gotta say, being a Servant's not a bad look on him. For a guy who's only one of the many Robin Hoods out there, he does the job pretty well. [ He smirks from under his cloak. ] I do it better, though.

[sealeted]

Yeah. If he had ended up with a less honorable man for his Master, he definitely would have taken me out.

[She leans in to peek up under the hood, fascinated.]

Instead of the No-Face King, should I be calling you the 'Many-Faced King'?

[killful]

[ He steps back and blushes. He can't help it. This face is more bashful than he expected. ... It is this face doing the blushing, right? He shrugs off whatever embarrassment he has with a cross between a sigh and a chuckle. ] Something like that, sure. You know him? Damn, I shoulda went with the red one...

[sealeted]

If you mean the one with white hair and tanned skin, then I know that Archer too. He makes me tea back home sometimes.

[She takes another long sip of her drink, mulling it over.]

I want to guess you're a Caster, but I've been wrong before. There's been Savers and Rulers, and the red Archer doesn't even use a bow as his primary weapon.

[killful]

Hehhh, that's some Grail War you're in. Well, I'd use a bow if I was an Archer — a rare breed, I know — so I'd say you're right on track. Or nowhere at all. Sorry. That's too bad. But you got two more guesses!

[sealeted]

No, I won that already. Archer and the rest just live in the Moon Cell with me now. Ah, but some of them did swear to fight for me, under my actual Servants...


[She blinks up at him, briefly side-tracked.]

If I guess right, do I get a prize?

[killful]

[ The Moon Cell, yes, he thinks he's heard about that, but... The rest are details he can't bring himself to care about. She's a Master. That's what's important.

The mess that is Robin's ginger hair unravels into long hair like ink. Assassin is himself again. ]

I think I know what you're talking about, but I also don't... Well, whatever. I guess I can give you a prize. If you need a guy, I can do most anything.

[sealeted]

I'm going to guess timeline nonsense is involved, and we can leave it at that.

[She's not the type who wants to debate and dissect different branches of quantum physics.

The world eating cyber aliens were enough.]

Lots of skills, huh? Lots of skills, and lots of faces, but not a Caster...

[She touches her chin, thinking hard.]

Are you one of the seven standard classes?

[killful]

Oh! We're playing twenty questions now? Man, I love this game. Hmm, I'd say so. [ He leans forward, eagerly closing the personal space between them. ] By the way, do you have a preference?

[sealeted]

For a Class, or something else?

[Joke's on him, she has spent entire battles with her consciousness inhabiting a magical ring.

Lack of personal space is nothing at this point.]

[killful]

[ Hmm... This was funner with Ritsuka, but he doesn't relent. ]

Was I asking about something else? If you want to answer a question I haven't asked, I won't stop you. That makes things easier.

[sealeted]

Then, as consolation for fumbling at the end of your fight, I'll give you a couple freebies: I like sweet foods and soft beds over the alternatives. And as for Classes, I have too many amazing Servants around me to really like one over the others. They all have important advantages.

[She takes a moment to sum up what she knows for sure, ticking off the fingers of her free hand.]

Let's see... not an Archer, not a Caster, not a Ruler or Saver, if you were a Saber it would be pretty obvious... Your skill seems too detail-oriented to be meant for somebody manifested as a Berserker...

[She has to start ticking down, out of free fingers. It's a little nostalgic, flexing the old investigation muscles like this.]

Lancers are usually pretty straightforward too... So, that would leave Assassin or Rider, assuming I haven't missed a clue and drawn a wrong conclusion.

[killful]

[ Sweet foods, soft beds, no preferences. That's easy to remember! Though he kind of hates the last part. His current Master is like that too, but he can't feel their presence now...

... ]

Wow, you're pretty sharp! I'll ignore how you can't forget my mistakes and give you that. Now it all comes down to two. Which one will it be, I wonder?

[sealeted]

Overall, I'd say you're more like Li Shuwen than Iskander or Drake, so... I'll guess Assassin. It fits the disguises part, too.

[She pokes at his bare chest with a finger chilled from holding her drink.]

Assuming this isn't another illusion, and going with how you took those men out successfully, [she stresses that part, since he's so pouty over it] I'd say you're from a Chinese legend or event. How am I doing?