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duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #8
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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. ... 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. |
 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. |
 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. |
( 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. |
 (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? |
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!! |
un: m.carter
It has indeed. Make it two drinks and you have yourself a deal, Sergeant.
Not tea, though. Lord knows tea isn't going to do a thing for me now.
no subject
[ And having just recently lost his superhuman abilities, he can get drunk just as easily as she can. He's been taking advantage of that fully. ]
a bar or somewhere more private?
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[who in the world is ruining her reputation by saying she gets drunk easily? the lady can drink the best of them under the table. and has. she's looking forward to adding him to the list, too.]
Private would be nice. Were we anywhere else and I'd say a bar would be fitting for the likes of us. But I've already had my fill of the people here.
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[ He sends the apartment number with the message for an apartment in the public housing for Dominants. This feels more than a little strange, inviting her over to the place he shares with Steve, but then he's carrying a lot of extra baggage about the both of them these days that neither of them have been made aware of and he'll probably keep it that way. ]
no subject
I will see you shortly.
And Barnes? Thank you. For the former. Although the latter is still appreciated, too. [she means it completely.
it's nearly an hour later when she finally arrives in front Bucky's and Steve's apartment, hesitantly giving the door several knocks. regardless of how much she hates everything about where she is, she'd be lying if she said she didn't admire the beauty of the Up. the architecture alone was breath taking.
even here, inside, she's finding herself admiring the art on the hall walls as she absently smooths down the front of her dress. it's nothing like her issued uniform, or the red dress back at the bar, but it is a happy medium and all hers. one of the few things, like the lipstick, the Walther PPK and the purse in her hands the former items reside in.
turns out they weren't the only things from home, though.]
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He doesn't expect her to remember their time together on that planet. No one else does and he's given up hope that anyone else will, but that's okay, because he knows exactly what sort of person she is and it's nothing but good. He'd opened up to her about things that he's never told Steve and she'd never once betrayed that. ]
Well, you look beautiful, as always.
[ He smiles, but he knows that while she looks exactly the way he remembers her, he looks a world different. Long hair and stubble and a good amount of muscle bulk that he'd never had in the war hopefully distract from the metal arm, which is mostly covered by the long sleeves, but there's still a visible left hand that hints at more. ]
no subject
in effort not to discredit herself as a spy (and give Bucky leverage to poke fun at her for later), Peggy makes quick work of taking all of his changes in with a single glance, lest she find herself blatantly staring at the curious differences.
one of which being the same marking as her own. that's the only one she isn't sure how to feel about. but that's a matter for later.
for now she has other matters to address.] And you look as if this city is rationing out razors. If that's the case, should I get any, you can have them. I'll even help you, if you'd like. [a tease Peggy huffs out with a laugh. a sound she had never given voice to back in the war for a magnitude of reasons. she doesn't have to worry about that anymore. rather, not as much as she used to. and it comes easier for her, too. she's changed some.] If Colonel Phillips saw you, he'd have kittens. [it's a damn shame he isn't here, isn't it? what a spectacle that would be.
after a moment she raises her brows--] Well? [--and nods towards the inside with a smile.] Aren't you going to invite me in? [she's still a lady, Bucky. mostly.]
no subject
Won't you please come in and grace my home with your shining presence?
[ Bucky's always been at least a little fond of Peggy and not just because she really is beautiful and incredibly charming when she wants to be. She's smart as a whip and a better shot than plenty of men he'd served with, but most importantly, she'd cared about Steve and not just because of his new muscles. In that way, Peggy might very well understand Bucky more than most people. They'd both admired so many of the same qualities in Steve.
He steps back to let her in, brushing his chin with his right hand absently. ]
And I'll have you know that fashionable hair has changed.
no subject
brushing past him, she reaches a hand out to gently tap the front of his chest. it's not so much a hello, as it is a means to make sure he's real. another check to verify she hasn't gone mad and that he is, in fact, solid as the ground beneath her feet.
stepping into the apartment Peggy takes a furtive glance around, momentarily pausing in her step. the last time they'd been around one another was in the barracks and trenches they'd come to know of war. neck deep in enemy territory, fighting Hydra before everything had gone to Hell in a handbasket. and now -- this place. one enemy territory traded for another, she supposes.
with her purse dropped into a chair, Peggy turns back around, hands on her hips. smile never once faltering from her face.]
Fashionable? Is that what you two are calling it? [different? yes. fashionable? seems a bit of a stretch. then again, what does she know? she only just arrived here and everything about this place is entirely unorthodox. that isn't to say she doesn't like it. only that it'll take some getting used to. luckily it's one of the easier things to.]
Now, before I take you up on the drinks offered, tell me, have hugs fallen out of trend, too? [that's right. Peggy Carter hugs. if he wishes to file a complaint, he can take it up with those who taught her; the rest of the Commandos, and Ana Jarvis.]
no subject
I wouldn't care if they had.
[ He moves in for a hug and though his movements are a little ginger and might betray the pain he's in, it's no less enthusiastic. He's so happy and relieved to see her alive and whole.
For about as long as she'll tolerate it, he hugs her, stepping back afterwards with a wide grin. ]
Get comfortable and I'll get us drinks.
[ The living room is clean but lived in. It's clearly a home and a well loved one. ]
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drawing back she nods, making herself exactly that; comfortable. first by toeing out of the shoes she's been wearing all day, sighing in relief to be rid of them and then settling on the sofa, right smack in the middle with legs now tucked under her.]
I'll be honest, [she calls over her shoulder at him, taking in the full scope of the living room and its views to the outside from where she's sitting.] I thought between you and Steve, this place would be in disarray.
no subject
[ He laughs as he comes back with their drinks to settle on the couch. Truthfully, it had been easier to stay neat when they'd been young and too poor to have much. Now, it's a little more effort, but he tries to keep the clutter contained. Not working too much allows for it, at least. ]
You might be right about the cooking part, but I am great at putting things away.
[ He pushes his hair back, an almost nervous gesture. This is the first time he's felt self conscious about his appearance in a while, but she's right. He practically looks like a different man and he knows it's not just the hair. ]
no subject
I didn't. I'm terribly sorry for not thinking you would make such a wonderful homemaker. [there's amusement evident in her eyes when her gaze flickers from the drink to watching as he sits.] If any of us would be good at it, well, I should have deduced it'd be you. You do have the advantage of having taken care of someone before. Only difference is he's much bigger than he used to be. As I'm sure his messes are too. [a beat, and then softly.] If he makes any? [she may know parts of Steve that others don't, present company excluded, but there are things - simple things like is he messy, does he have any morning or nightly rituals, she still has to learn about him.
which, up until a few days ago, was something she never thought she'd ever have the chance to do.
tapping her fingers along the sides of the glass she quietly studies him. it's a habit (#spythings) to take notice of all the details, some familiar and some changed. no matter how small - the beard, or big - the metal fingers.
lifting the glass to her lips she hesitates on the first sip, inwardly debating if she should let him start or take the lead like she always does and wants to. because they can skirt around the questions until the cows come home, but eventually they'll have to be asked.
and so, with a deep breath in and a soft exhale--] How long have you been here?
no subject
[ There's a warm smile at the memory. He still misses them a lot. Family had been important and Steve had always been a part of that family to him. They'd all taught him in one way or another how much he could enjoy taking care of others, indulging their wishes and keeping them safe and bandaging their cuts when he couldn't. Bucky had always been an affectionate and loving person. He knows that and he knows he's not quite there anymore, but there are still parts of it that remain. ]
It's been about five months here, though. Steve found me on the first day.
[ He watches her, too, but it's with less sharpness than he might have watched someone else. Normally, he assesses threats and finds all exits automatically, but Peggy's not a threat to him. Like Steve and Thomas, she belongs on that little list of people who he knows would never hurt him. Hopefully. ]
I used to look out for him, but the last few years he's the one taking care of me, to be honest.
no subject
but his smile tells a different story. one that burrows the chill running through her veins straight to her bones.]
Five months?
[Peggy doesn't bother trying to bite back the surprise in her tone or worry about the confusion written across her normally neutral features. there's no need to around Bucky when she trusts him (and wouldn't ever hurt him). even when none of it adds up. not in the way she expects it -- needs it to. if it's only been five months for Bucky and Steve, provided they arrived at the same time, were they missing time? or did time here work differently (slower) than home? Howard and Jason had talked about the possibilities of different dimensions. different points in time. hypothesis, mostly, based after observing Zero Matter in action. but that's all it had been at the time; two brilliant men speculating, hoping with scientific curiosity.
and now here she is.
cutting her gaze from Bucky to her glass she makes quick work of downing the entirety of it in one sling. letting it burn for a moment, savoring the warmth before the cold inevitably settles back in.] Normally I detest assuming anything, but something tells me you aren't referring to only during the war?
no subject
I was considered killed in action, but I guess they did more to me at Azzano than anyone realized, because I survived that fall and the other guys had me for... a long time. They messed with my head and I didn't know who I was anymore. Not until I saw Steve again years later and their programming started to crack.
[ It's a heavily sanitized version, but it's what he can comfortably say right now. If she doesn't know what he did to Howard yet, he's really going to need to work his way up to that one. Even Steve doesn't know yet here. ]
I'm still working on getting my head on straight again, so you'll have to forgive me if I don't remember everything from the war. My memory's still got a lot of holes in it.
[ Finally he chances another glance at her. ]
no subject
especially what comes next.
and it might be for the best that Bucky doesn't meet her eyes as he explains what and how he means. because of the myriad emotions flashing in Peggy's eyes and across her face at the explanation before the color drains from her face, paling her completely.
even the watered down version is quite the load to take in. which she does with a heavy heart. how many HYDRA bases had the Commandos and she taken down? by Colonel Phillips' accounts it was all of them. every remaining (or so they thought) HYDRA base after Steve had crashed the Valkyrie was laid to waste. she stood inside them all and found things, and people, they hadn't thought to look for among what they'd gone in search of. had he been kept in any of those places during any of those times? it's an unsettling but real thought that twists the guilt further. if the boys and her had lingered longer, looked a bit harder, or something -- anything then perhaps one of them would have come across Bucky sooner rather than a great deal later it seems.
having settled her glass aside, Peggy shakes her head to clear the thoughts. carefully leaning over she lays a hand over one of Bucky's, gently squeezing as her free hand presses the corners of her eyes to keep her composure.
softly, but firm,] You needn't worry, there's nothing to forgive. Not in this sense. [if anyone should be asking for forgiveness it's Peggy. which she has every intention in doing by starting with an offering,] I'll help fill in what gaps I can. If you would like, of course.