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Duplicity Game Mods ([personal profile] duplicitymods) wrote in [community profile] duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
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TDM #8


« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »


« « « AND IT GOES ON AND ON


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.

... 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 highrise. 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.

Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new and old arrivals.

The hellish summer heat is finally starting to subside, and the cool breeze suggests autumn is approaching.



» » » TAKE A RIDE




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.



« « « A POCKET OF PENNIES




The weather’s getting cooler, and people have begun transitioning from summer clothing to the sweaters and jackets of early fall. With jackets come pockets, and with pockets come a bizarre uptick in robberies.

Then again, perhaps the correlation is flawed. In the Down, getting robbed is a constant threat. Gangs of street toughs look for lone or inattentive people who look like they’ve got valuables on hand. Uncontracted Submissives are particularly easy to rob, since authorities have little time to bother with a lowly Submissive without a Dominant to advocate for them. One particularly nasty gang of young adult men, the Bulldogs, hangs out near the train, looking to ambush unwary Submissives fresh out of Orientation. They are prone to violent muggings and will simply beat up their target and leave them in a gutter when they’re finished robbing them.

In the Up, the streets are nominally safer, but there have been reports of a group of college-aged Submissive women taking advantage of their designation to attack travelers. They, too, stand near the train and the orientation center, looking to seduce passersby into an alley where a group of them can beat and mug their victims, usually Dominants looking to capitalize on their pretty appearances.

But you’re truthfully at risk anywhere in the city. The new arrivals are easy targets, and any brazen thief might get the idea to make some quick cash. The authorities are spread too thin to help, but perhaps LIErs can look out for one another?

Or they might just get in on the thievery. Everyone’s out for themselves, after all.



« « « NEW FLESH LIKE A GLOVE


( CW: potential dubcon, drugs, BDSM/sexual torture, prostitution, public use )

Surrounding a large building near the orientation center in the Up, banners and fliers announcing the beginning of the inaugural Duplicity High Tech Sexpo, a trade show for businesses and manufacturers of adult novelties. Since this is the expo’s first year, admission is free and many excited volunteers are handing out vouchers all over the city. These vouchers can be exchanged for goods and services within the expo, but have no monetary value outside of it. Even if you refuse them, you’ll likely find two or three of them tucked into your bag or pocket.

Inside the expo hall, there are dozens of booths pitching a variety of entertainments. Many offer interactive demonstrations, showing off their tech for the crowds of interested onlookers. Competition is fierce, and booths try to attract attention and customers through any means necessary. There are private rooms all around the expo for potential customers to try out the products. Booths will also happily accept volunteers for demos, or try to recruit them by bribing them with cash or free samples. There’s a nasty rumor going around that some are recruiting volunteers via more illicit means, like drugging and dressing them up, but surely that’s an exaggeration…

Some of the smaller booths sell more traditional toys and accessories: leashes and collars, specialty lubes and massage oils, fetish gear, strap-ons, dildos and vibrators in myriad shapes and sizes, and other basic items. Others advertise apps for the devices, the most notable of which is HUGGR (which LIErs may recognize as a poorly rebuilt sex-themed version of a certain other app.) The closer you get to the big-ticket sponsor booths, the more elaborate and fantastic the products become.

One of the most eye-catching demos is for the Climax VR Headset. You and a partner both wear a VR headset, which displays a collaborative virtual scenario. Both partners can alter the setting and surroundings however they like, and any sexual activity conducted in VR transmits real sensations to their bodies. You can come together without ever physically touching.

Symphony Hydraulics have a large, loud booth where crowds gather to watch perhaps the most outrageous demo: a variety of fucking machines. Volunteers get stripped, strapped in, and turned on, brought to screaming orgasms in front of the whole crowd. There is a fifteen minute break between demos on each machine, as some poor intern hurriedly washes and sanitizes them between uses. In the interim, they offer smaller, portable versions for sale or rent at the expo. (Some may note that a few of the Symphony Hydraulics staff members look a bit familiar.)

Does all this high-tech equipment have you overwhelmed? Wish you could go back to a simpler time? Sir Robert’f Bedroome Provifionf (sic) is helmed by historical reenactor Robert Plum, who has also created his own line of medieval torture device-themed sex toys. Need a chastity belt to keep your Submissive all to yourself? A rack with an attached spreader-bar? An iron maiden with soft vibrating silicone ticklers inside? All the stocks and whips and chains you could ever need? Sir Robert has you covered. Of course, everything on display is harmlessly altered for sexual novelty purposes, but one might also ask to see Sir Robert’s “special” merchandise in the back.

Perhaps the most unassuming booth at the expo belongs to Grandma Hattie’s Snacks and Sweets. Grandma Hattie, a kindly old Submissive, has partnered with a tech company to produce what appear to be completely normal vending machines, stocked full of her tasty homemade bread, snack cakes, and other baked goods. Vouchers are good for a free sample of any treat from a vending machine. They taste amazing and have no apparent odd effects-- until 10 minutes after consumption, when you suddenly gain an insatiable craving for a random kink. Your craving will dominate your thoughts for three hours, or until it is appeased.



« « « PERFECTION OF THE DIGITAL




(CW: potential dubcon, objectification)

By far the largest and shiniest booth comes from expo sponsors Sexy Metal Incorporated, who have set up a display of their incredible high-tech sexbots. These life-sized dolls are made of extremely realistic material that feels like warm human skin, and come with state-of-the-art mechanics that give them lifelike movement. Engineers show off how the bots can be plugged into a computer and programmed to act any way the buyer likes.

They come in a wide variety of customizable appearances and eerily, some of the bots on display look exactly like people you may know. Booth staff encourage customers to buy these dolls, or to rent them and give them a try onstage in front of the fascinated crowds. If that’s not kinky enough, one of the engineers has purchased a VR headset from another booth, and programmed it to interface with the bot’s controls. Care to slip inside the silicone skin of another person?



« « « 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 assignments OOCly are still 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: In celebration of our one year, pick whichever role you want for your character!

» A Pocket Full of Pennies: Feel free to come up with any free-roving gangs or petty criminals you like for your characters to tangle with.

» New Flesh Like A Glove: Characters can spend money on items at the expo, or may exchange vouchers for what they want. Each voucher has a value of about $5 within the expo and they may be acquired by finding them, having them handed to characters/stuffed in their pockets or bags by expo volunteers, or paid them in exchange for “volunteering” at booths.

Characters may indeed try before they buy, either out in the open or using one of the provided private rooms with a partner. The expo has a staff of unpaid student interns tasked with cleaning and sanitizing products if they are used but not purchased.

Grandma Hattie’s snacks can inspire characters to have any kink you may desire.

» Perfection of the Digital: Sexbots can resemble any player characters, including brand new arrivals/test drive characters. They can also resemble characters that yours knows from home. The engineers have no explanation for this, and the one who identifies himself as the designer will shrug and say he gets inspiration from many places.

The sexbots are hot-ticket expensive merchandise, so security is tight around the booth. Characters who attempt to steal or destroy a sexbot (for instance, one who looks like themselves) will be quickly set upon by guards, who are meant to eject them from the expo. However, many of the guards will take bribes from other booths to provide them model “volunteers,” drugged into complacency.

If characters want to acquire a sexbot permanently, they will have to buy it or exchange a hefty 50 vouchers for it.

Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!!




» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (You can't tell but I'm asleep right now)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-16 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
Vash frowns. The words Legato chooses to use only solidifying in his head that this was the same Legato who had been his warden for the last six months he had at home. "I see the doctors here were able to fix your body." It seemed like a somewhat safe topic to start off on.
endthem: (Nice to meet you)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-16 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Unfortunately for Vash, Legato had already had experience with Vash appearing and disappearing from these dimensional prisons, seemingly with a differing amount of memories each time. He already assumes there are infuriating holes in Vash's understanding of things. It leaves him unconcerned about minor discrepancies, and eager to helpfully fill in the gaps for his dear friend.

"Oh, there was nothing to fix." Assuming this time that Vash's memories maybe included his violent demise or being otherwise riddled with bullets. "You see, between then and now, I spent several years in another prison entirely. So, I have had plenty of time to look forward to our next meeting."
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (But Sanji; what do you mean I can't top?)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-16 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
That takes Vash by surprise. That can't be right... can it? "What do you mean another prison?"
endthem: (Nice weather today)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-16 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
Really, anything that startles Vash, shakes the certainty in his understanding of the world, Legato takes as a small victory.

"Much like this one, but somewhere else entirely. You'd visited it a few times as well, but never seemed to recall the experience. I'm really not surprised that you don't remember now."
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (You keep talking but I'm not listening)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-16 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
"You mean another city focused primarily on sex?" Vash's bushy eyebrows raise high on his head. A clear indication of his skepticism of that statment. Then again when had Legato ever really lied to him? "And what did you do in that other prison? I hope you took a chance to live a happier life."
endthem: (Dont be so hasty)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-16 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"I mean a city that steals you from where you rightfully belong, keeping you trapped until it is done toying with you."

Somewhere between the reminder of the supposed goals behind this place, and the memory of everything he'd just left behind in the last one, his voice hardens.

"In that other prison, I practiced patience and learned many very useful things. All while waiting for a reunion that I knew must be coming eventually."

And now, here they were.
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Serious eyes are serious)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-17 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
"This isn't home, Legato. You don't have to live the same life you did back home." Vash really isn't liking the idea of Legato seeing his brother again. "How about instead of practicing patience you try relaxing a little? Find a nice grassy spot and read a book? Make a new, less murder inclined friend? One who will treat you with the respect and kindness you deserve." Okay... so Vash would be lying if he said he wouldn't be happy to hear Legato fell down a hole and died, however, he has also wondered how different the man would be if he had not been brainwashed by his psychopathic brother.]
endthem: (Through the haze)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-17 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)
There is a moment where Legato is quiet as he listens to Vash's words, and his air of thoughtfulness could be maybe be mistaken for consideration. Maybe, for once, he's absorbing Vash's suggestions and mulling them over.

In reality, he's remembering.

When he finally speaks again, he's more calm. His voice has shifted from the sharpness of anger to something a little softer.

"...I wonder. Have you seen forests yet, Vash? Have you seen oceans?"
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (This is my serious face! 8|)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-17 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Vash doesn't respond right away. Tipping his head slightly while trying to figure out what trap Legato was laying. It could be an innocent question. A perfectly normal and expected one from anyone from No Man's Land. Except this wasn't just anyone. This was Legato and with that madman there always seemed to be some sort of horrible twisted reason for everything he did and said.

"Yes." He finally replies. "I've seen both here. We could actually go to the ocean right now. The forest, however, is a bit inaccessible at the moment."
endthem: (Delightful)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-17 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
He smiles then. The expression could have been called 'gentle,' if it had been on anyone else's face.

"I'm glad... It's incredible, isn't it?"

Even for all of his tendencies toward false and mocking displays of sincerity, this sounds strangely close to genuine.

"One of the only things I am thankful to my previous captors for, is the beautiful places they've shown me. Vast groves of trees, rainstorms... even untouched fields of flowers."

He pauses just a moment before continuing to measure whatever expression might be on Vash's face.
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Down but not out)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-17 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Legato may feel the way Vash's body tenses at his smile. As if he's waiting for Legato to attack him, or worse, control him. He's still tense even after he realizes that Legato was being honest.

Then he mentions flowers. Vash can't help but feel like that is likely a dig at him and his love for Rem. The corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he struggles to know the safe thing to say here. "They have some beautiful gardens here with flowers in them as well." Even a vegetable and flower garden on the roof of the free submissive housing. One that he had wished into existence and given the name of Rem's Little Piece of Eden. "I think you may like seeing them. Or the snow this place gets in winter." Or Knives. He'll likely enjoy seeing his brother as well, but screw Knives.
endthem: (In the presence of a god)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-17 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a soft sound of amusement--again, not biting as it might have been--and his smile grows a little.

"Oh, I've seen gardens, and I've seen snow." So very, very different from their dead world, but still not encompassing all that he means.

"It was so quiet and peaceful... I got to see the world as it was meant to be, Vash."

Green and growing and perfect.
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Beware the feather)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-17 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Once again Vash doesn't respond right away. Chewing the words he should say carefully in his mind. "And were you able to live a peaceful life?" He feels this is a very dangerous question, but he feels he must ask it.
endthem: (It's time)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-17 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"It showed us these things but never allowed us to keep them for long. It was a prison after all, and its ultimate goal was to torment us between times of comfort."

That second part hardly mattered, however. It wasn't the point.

"I enjoyed the beautiful places that I saw while they were there, and I thought of you often. I'd always wondered what you would think if you'd gotten to see them for yourself."
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (You can't tell but I'm asleep right now)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-17 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"I probably would have found them beautiful." Vash shifts uncomfortably on his feet before he asks his next question. "And you wondered what I would think? Not Knives?"
endthem: (Unholy)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-18 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
There's a flicker of something, a small hesitation, but it's gone quickly. The smile remains.

"I'd wondered what you would have thought... because, for me, it solidified my resolve."

The smile is genuine, sad, and cold. "It's how things should have been, Vash. It was beautiful to see."
Edited 2019-09-18 00:03 (UTC)
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Just smile and nod)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-18 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
"How it should be." Before Knives ruined everything. Is what he would like to add to that, but arguing that with Legato right now didn't seem to be the best move. "If we work together it could still be like that. It takes a lot of different people to care for a world."

People. Not just Plants.

"So, what will your purpose be here in this world?" He grins kindly and just a little playfully. "I have a couple suggestions if you need them."
endthem: (Bluesummers)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-18 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
And that is when his smile changes, of course. The look hardly shifts, but the subtle difference is enough to make this expression much more familiar. They're both taking their usual roles once more.

"I don't think I would be able to stomach anymore of your suggestions, thank you."

He lifts his chin a little, inadvertently showing a little more of the new line running down his throat.

"As for my purpose, I suppose we will have enough time to find that out, won't we?" Unless Vash disappears from this world before Legato could make any progress, like he had from the one before. He's trying to hold onto the hope that things will go differently here, however. Trusting that though this world seems even more vile and warped than the previous one, he has been given another chance.

"I wouldn't want to spoil the ending so soon."
goldenglasses: Maker on LJ (Grrrrr! *snarl*)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-18 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Things don't have to be the same here!" Vash snaps out a bit more harshly then he originally intended. Legato finally unsettling him a bit more than he wants to tolerate. "I want them to be different. Don't you?"
endthem: (It's just a game)

[personal profile] endthem 2019-09-19 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Oh how he loves that expression. His left arm shivers with it.

"Of course I do, Vash." His smile grows with that empty look of reassurance. "Don't worry, I wouldn't make you watch the same show twice. I'll think of something new for you."
goldenglasses: (Sand in the eyes HURTS!)

[personal profile] goldenglasses 2019-09-19 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
"And what sort of show would you put on if my brother wants peace between us? For the fighting to stop? Things have changed, Legato." Vash knows he should probably come right out and say it. That Knives was here and they had a promise between them that there would be no more killing, but even knowing he couldn't keep Legato from Knives forever there was a part of him that wanted to delay it as much as possible.