duplicitymemes

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«tdm

TDM #1

« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »

« « « OUT OF CLUTTER FIND SIMPLICITY

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

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

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

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

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!!

» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Better. Theory-wise, not science-wise.

I wonder, though...if they know that some of us will rebel, and that some of us will even do so effectively.

What, like they want us to shake things up here? Why would... wait a minute.

[Her mind's working frantically right now, and all kinds of sci-fi movie plots are playing in her head. The result is a ridiculous notion, but one she's gonna bring up anyway.]

Okay, here's a wild one. What if there's an actual resistance here already, and they're the ones who brought us in somehow to help them, but the folks in charge got to us first and now they're trying to keep us from the resistance?

[His smile slowly grows as she speaks.]

Now you're getting it. Only I'm not so sure some of the ones in charge aren't in on it.

[Alright, so when he asked for a theory he might have already had one in mind toward which to coach her.]

[It's actually kind of remarkable how much he seems to approve of what she would have considered completely outlandish ideas before the whole heartless thing happened.]

Why would the people in charge want us to take the system down? I mean... I guess it could just be a moral thing, if they don't like how things are here either but they can't stop it themselves...

[That was probably the fastest she's ever answered one of her own questions.]

[His life is nonsense; it doesn't even occur to him to think of any of this as outlandish at this point.]

Proof that there's an alternative? That people don't divide neatly into the roles assigned purely by human nature?

But it does seem like there should be simpler ways to effect social change.

Isn't social change always complicated? I mean, history's not my best subject, but that's kinda been one of the themes as far as I can tell.

[And she comes from a magical, perfect Disney world, so she can only imagine what it's like elsewhere.]

Everything worth doing is more complicated than it first looks.

[There are your wizard words of wisdom for the day; you're welcome.]

I'll admit that my criticism may stem from a reluctance to be their catalyst. I had other business to attend to back home.

Well I don't think anyone actually wanted to come here.

[Could she be wrong? Absolutely. Does she want to think too hard about that possibility? Nooooooo.]

And I imagine most of us were pretty busy. I was in training, for one thing.

...Right.

[Some measure of guilt flits through his expression. Not the first time he's made something entirely about himself. Not the first time he's failed to consider that others feel the same or worse.

It's been a hard year for a lot of people. Or a hard day, if he's thinking more specifically about the present.]

What kind of training?

[The funny thing is, she meant that as a supportive "you aren't alone" sort of thing, not to prick him for only thinking about himself.

Though him expressing interest in what she was doing does make her smile.]

I imagine you've probably never heard of a Keyblade, so the best answer is one part magic, one part swordplay. Though I think Master Yen Sid might have been planning to have me focus a bit more on the magic part of things.

You're right, I haven't.

[Which is intriguing all on its own the moment she says it's magic. Is she from another world beyond those with which he's familiar? Or is this just something in the vastness of his own universe he's not yet encountered?]

How much have you learned of magic?

Not all that much yet. Enough to use three basic spells, fire, ice, lightning. I was working on healing magic when I got brought here.

[Which she really wishes she had here. Maybe she won't run into any circumstances where a little healing would be necessary, but she'd rather not risk it.]

[That doesn't actually tell him much -- the fact that she seemed cheerful about it, he thinks, tells him more.]

But where does it come from? This magic of yours, I mean. What powers it?

[Please don't say contracts with elder gods.]

Oh! Yeah, I probably should have started with that, huh? It's... sort of all-permeating? Not everyone can harness it, but there's an energy all around us that people like me can tap into with proper focus and training. Master Yen Sid calls it mana. I cast my spells by drawing mana into myself, focusing my will, and forming the mana into the shape of the spell I want to use.

[She kind of assumes the mana's a leftover remnant of Kingdom Hearts, but apparently no one's actually confirmed that.]

Right now I can't hold all that much mana at once, so I was mostly practicing trying to raise my limit.

And the cost?

[A more pointed question, maybe, than would seem merited from an observer unfamiliar with the general concept. He won't leave her hanging on the question of why he's asking for more than a couple seconds.]

At the end of my first week of training in the mystic arts I spent an entire day vomiting up unrecognizable glowing substances. You seem...like someone who maybe hasn't done that.

Cost? Um... exhaustion, mostly. Nothing like what you went through... though I did have to get drafted into a multi-world war to get the training. Maybe that counts?

[Though honestly, she's not entirely sure she'd be as gung-ho about everything she's learning if stuff like that was involved.]

Ah. Yeah, that might be it.

[Less direct than his way, but the universe has a way of balancing things out.]

Now that I think about it, I never thought about the price of the power before. The responsibility, yeah, but that's not really the same thing.

[And she's about one step away from going full Spider-Man now.]

[Aren't they both, though?]

Not quite, no. But it's good you're thinking about it. Too many people don't -- or do what they tell themselves is necessary anyway.

[With great power comes great cliches.]

Yeah, I've been there. Fortunately the last time anyone I met started going down that route we managed to head him off before he really hurt anyone other than himself.

[Dammit Riku.]

[There's growing respect in the way he looks at her as they go on talking. He'd taken her for someone inexperienced -- for a civilian, to borrow a word from another context. She's not what he expected.]

That's harder than it sounds, I know.

Especially when it's a friend.

[She tilts her head at him, curious.]

You ever have to fight your friends?

[Gee, Kairi, you think?]

Once or twice. I try not to keep a tally of it.

Yeah, that makes sense. Not the sort of thing you really want to dwell on.

[She says, having a conversation about exactly that.]

Mm.

[Stephen Strange doesn't have any friends. Or so he tells himself sometimes.]

You run into anyone you know here, or is it just you?

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