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duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
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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!! |
no subject
[All the whizzing carriages careening so quickly it's a wonder they don't overturn on the turns in particular. It's a very good argument for staying out of the street.]
I don't think there's anything like this in Thedas, either. For all of their reputation for hedonism, the Orlesians have far more decorum, and the Imperium is more focused on blood magic and power, not sex, per se. It's wretched.
[And degrading, and many other words he doesn't care to dwell on, because it's depressing.]
I just realized I didn't thank you for this. You certainly didn't have to take the time. I'm more than happy to compensate you with the drinks.
no subject
Magic is a very rare thing, on Earth. A handful of witches throughout the ages, maybe a druid or two who was more than just high on mushrooms.]
Ugh, don't thank me, I've got a reputation to maintain. [As someone who doesn't do things for other people without reason. Except it occurs to him with those words that he doesn't have any kind of reputation. There's no Hell looking over his shoulder, no one who knows him, no one to expect him to act a certain way. He puts a metaphorical pin in that thought, deciding it's the type of existential crisis that's best had alone.] Anyway, tell me more about magic and we'll call it even, can't say there's much of it on Earth outside of stories.
[Bold words from the occult being.]
no subject
[He has no idea why he wouldn't want the thanks, but if there is something to it, he can be discreet.
It always somehow comes back to magic, doesn't it? He nods, closing his eyes briefly.]
Not everyone in Thedas possesses the ability to be a mage. Conservative estimates by some of our scholars say maybe ten percent of the overall human and elf population on the continent. No dwarves, not ever. There are Qunari mages, too. I know very little about them except that it seems they are terribly abused. You only ever see them wearing collars, odd half masks, and with their lips sewn shut and their horns cut to nubs.
[Not a sight you'd ever forget if you also found yourself on the receiving end of their devastating spells.]
Spellcasting is reliant on a sort of energy that comes through the mage from a place called the Fade. It's also the place where demons exist naturally. Just as every mage is a conduit for the energy, every mage is a potential doorway for a demon.
[He pauses there to gauge his reactions before considering continuing. It may sound so weird to him that he'll lose interest altogether. He doesn't want to bore him.]
You really don't have much magic on your world?
no subject
What it really makes him consider is whether he needs to keep what he can do a secret. All these worlds, some of them just have magic, maybe no one would blink an eye at a little miracle or two.]
Afraid not, no magic and no... what did you call them? Qunari? Or elves, or dwarves, that's all made up stuff, back home.
[Just humans. And angels and demons, but while he might be contemplating being a bit more open, he isn't about to reveal exactly what he is. Apparently demons have negative connotations in more worlds than just his own, and he'd rather not open himself up to judgement right from the get-go.]
I'd think it was a bit mad, if I wasn't on another world already. [But! He might as well believe it.] I take it demons are bad things to have running about?
[Ha.]
no subject
[It's hard to imagine a world without them or the other races he is so used to.]
Isn't it strange that people would make up something that doesn't exist that actually does exist somewhere else? [What are the odds?]
I wonder if that has any significance to our situation. [A thought to explore more thoroughly later, maybe when he can get out and start investigating more.
He chuffs a single amused sound.] I wouldn't blame you. If someone came to Skyhold raving about horseless carriages and little map boxes, I'd think them cracked.
Oh, yes. The demons killed...countless people when they came through the rifts. One of my associates knows much more about them than I do. He says they're essentially spirits driven mad by contact with the solid world or exposure to the complexity of living minds. As spirits, they're embodiments of various traits. Virture, Compassion, Healing and the like. When they become demons, many of them remain simplistic.
A hunger demon possessing a corpse wants only to consume living flesh. A rage demon literally burns with anger. But there are also more dangerous, far more intelligent ones. They're the ones who possess mages most often and who wreak havoc from the shadows.
[He doesn't seem to be theorizing or speaking abstractly. He's as matter-of-fact about it as though he's relating that in Kirkwall they ate almost all of the cats that first year after the Blight or that it's nice weather they're having, if a bit hot.]
no subject
Oh, people do that sort of thing all the time. Remarkable thing, imagination.
[He's thinking of Da Vinci and Verne, specifically, the things they imagined that wouldn't come to pass for years and years, and sure, some of that stuff was inspired by what they wrote or designed, but not all of it.
Which isn't to say he's dismissing Cullen's point; it's an interesting one, though it has some implications that could be a little troubling. Is there bleed through, between worlds? Or is it something more sinister? But he'd like a better foundation of knowledge before he starts coming up with theories, better not to get too stuck down one train of thought too early.
For now, he's more curious to learn about another world's demons. There are some similarities there, he thinks, the concept of them being a spirit that becomes corrupted. There's an echo of that in their Fall, in a way, although it isn't quite so simple. Demons aren't limited to just one vice or sin or evil, whatever it could be called. It's a decent amount of information to digest, and he wants to think on it a moment before responding. Fortunately, he can buy himself time with the fact they've arrived at their destination.]
Right, welcome to your first whisky bar. [a beat, and:] I assume, figure they're not the type of thing you'd have in a place like where you're from. After you.
[He'll let Cullen pick where to sit, since he's not sure whether a booth or stool will be easier to manage with the armor.]
no subject
[He's willing to consider that as a possibility, that it's just coincidence. For that matter, there's no way to know if what the people of Crowley's world call "elves" or "dwarves" look anything like how he knows them to be or bear any other sort of resemblance at all.
Once they reach their destination and step inside, he moves out of the way of the door and takes a moment just to take it all in, the dark corners (few and not very dark,) other exits (none visible,) and the most strategic seat for watching the door without having his back to too many others.
Satisfied, he starts for a stool at one of the tables near the back and claims the one most directly facing the door. The sword is no issue at all with the way he sits, clearly second nature and more of an extension of him than something he wears.]
We have whisky that will strip your chest hairs, but you're right in that I've never seen an entire tavern dedicated to them.
[He reaches for one of the little lists on the table to draw it closer and peruse. Some of the descriptions amuse him, sounding very Orlesian. "Smoky with a smooth finish and notes of caramel."]
Do they have any that taste of despair, I wonder?
[It's a bad joke he's sure he won't get.]
no subject
Neither of those apply right now. Or at all, anymore. His only concern is dropping onto a stool, elbow on the table, chin in his hand, as he idly regards the menu. It's strange, not seeing any familiar names or locations, he'll have to do some serious research at some point, about the distilleries here. But for now he'll rely on the tasting notes on the menu.]
That'd be American whiskey, if they had any. Awful stuff, it's the climate where it ages, and they make it from corn. [Americans, back it again, ruining a perfectly good thing by getting corn involved in the process.] If you're used to stuff that burns, these should be a vast improvement, unless you're into that kind of thing.
[He isn't. Cheap whisky just tastes like ethanol, and he spent too much time in America during Prohibition to enjoy that.]
no subject
[He'd never heard of "American," either, but that seems more obvious and not like something he needs to announce. He pulls a face.]
No, I don't care for rotgut. I suppose some of the Free Marches have some decent distilleries if you get up near Starkhaven. I'm usually more of an ale or brandy drinker if I'm going to indulge. The Antivans make a peach brandy that's as smooth as silk.
[He gets more serious about studying the descriptions, immediately passing over anything that says "raw" or "robust," as he associates that with "will burn."]
Tell me more about your world. I've been going on and on about mages and such. You said the technology is similar to here. What did you like doing there?
no subject
Could never get the taste for ale, always been too heavy for me.
[Liquor and wine are his go-tos, if he's imbibing alcohol, which he often is. It's just one of those things that he'd gotten fallen into the habit of, over the years. A way to pass the time.]
I did ask about the magic, can't fault you for answering. [But the question of what he liked doing is more difficult to answer. For the past eleven years especially, most of his time has been taken up by work, by worrying about the end of the world. There's no real way to describe his job that doesn't give away too much, and he doesn't want to talk shop, anyway. Not anymore.
He just doesn't really know how to talk about himself, outside of that.] Spent a lot of time travelling, really, I suppose I've had it pretty easy, never had to worry about money so I could faff about a bit. Theater, concerts. Friend of mine would always take me along to the newest restaurant he was into, if I was in town. Collect a bit of art, here and there, though it's been a while since I've picked up anything new.
[Like, 70 years, but that's a drop in the ocean for him.]
no subject
That's lucky, being able to travel for pleasure rather than necessity. I don't know many people who wouldn't jump at the chance for that at least for a while.
[A waiter comes around to take their orders. After a few questions of clarification, Cullen decides to go with something smoky with a hint of salty and sherry notes. It sounds pretentious, but then again, all of them do.
He waits until Crowley is able to make his order before picking back up.]
I was never much for the theater. Music, on the other hand, is quite nice. We've some incredibly talented bards at Skyhold.
no subject
You'd be surprised, even with the chance, people aren't always big on leaving something comfortable. Can't blame them, really, nothing wrong with having a home.
[For a long time, he didn't. For most of his life, really, as long as it's been. There might've been one or two places he settled for a few years, but it was never a home, never more than just somewhere he was staying for an assignment, to see something through to the end. It's only the past few centuries that he settled truly, and he's been in Mayfair ever since.
When the waiter comes, Crowley aims for peat and spice. It feels strange not to automatically order food, but that's only because he's not used to drinking with someone who isn't Aziraphale.]
If you're into music and this place is anything like home, you'll be in for a shock. Don't need to have a bard or a band around, to listen to music, it's all data, like the maps. I've got about two thousands songs on my one of these. [He taps the device, where he'd left it at a corner of the table.]
no subject
And I suppose it's dependent upon why one is traveling and where one has to go. I always wanted to get out of Honnleath when I was a child, see the world, and I did, but in the context of work.
[Now, he'd give almost anything to go back, but there's no Honnleath to return to. It never recovered from the Blight.
The topic of music is cheerier and the news that the small devices could hold so many songs difficult to believe.]
I don't think I've heard anywhere close to two thousand songs in my whole life. We could listen to some of them now? Right here?
no subject
Not as much time for sightseeing, on work trips, is there? Takes some of the fun out of travel.
[He'll just continue keeping everything a bit vague.]
Sure, uh — [He'd seen his own mobile back in the flat but had declined to take it with him, not seeing the point of it when it wouldn't call anyone important. Now though, it's in his pocket as he reaches for it, spending a moment to scroll through his music collection, grateful that a little trick of magic meant he'd downloaded it all at some point, rather than messing about with wifi connections. In the interest of starting with something relatively gentle without being completely boring, he picks the Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker, letting it play quietly through the speakers on his phone.] There you go, your first music from Earth.