Duplicity Game Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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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!! |
(cw: poor bdsm practices)
Mm-hmm. Two very common religions, but the major three are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The latter two are outgrowths from Judaism, but historically speaking the three have been in conflict for centuries. I can only really speak for Christianity because that's the most popular religion where I'm from, but most Christians believe that you have to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior to be saved. But they're also big fans of faith and prayer. [a pause] What are primal beings?
no subject
[ His tone is dry but he is...a tiny bit impressed. And how in Zodiark's name have her people not managed to summon their god through such fervent faith by now? ...Ah, right - a lack of crystals. She did mention they lack aether. ]
Primal beings are... Hmm, how shall I put it in terms you will understand? [ He frowns in thought, tapping his fingers idly. ] In essence they are the result of an abundance of aether and strong visualisation. They represent a fundamental idea - or in most cases, belief. Though they are sentient, they function as an extension of the wills of their summoners and in turn temper their minds and the minds of anyone exposed to their influence against anything other than that singular will.
Do you follow so far?
no subject
[she knows enough to know that many people expect the second coming of Jesus to be any day and she's heard of the rapture, but neither her mom nor her stepdad were all that religious. she didn't have a background of going to church and praying and fervent belief. Christmas was for presents and Easter was for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
and she follows what he says carefully, faint concentration lines visible between her brows]
...okay. I think so?
no subject
If you have questions, you may interrupt.
[ To continue-- ]
What I am attempting to say is that primals are a result of one person or many people imagining - very strongly - a concept or belief. This concept is given form through a vast quantity of aether, which is the basis of all life on the star as I mentioned. Without it, all one has is an empty prayer.
[ He raises his hand as if to snap his fingers, only to apparently change his mind. He makes a pointed motion instead. ]
So - you have your concept and your aether. You mentioned that these Christians' deity is 'Jesus Christ'? Imagine that his worshippers came together under these conditions and brought forth a tangible figure, in the flesh so to speak. Their 'lord and saviour' would temper their minds so that they could worship no other god, and judging by your description, would then go on to seek out further supplicants.
no subject
and she gapes for a moment at the conclusion to his explanation]
Oh my gosh. If people back home could do that--bring back Jesus for real or even just as a copy--it would be pandemonium. Especially if he could make other people who weren't Christians unable to believe in anyone but him.
The thing is, supposedly Jesus died to absolve people of their sins, was resurrected, and went back to Heaven. But before leaving, he apparently said that he'd be back and when he was, that would be the beginning of the end of the world. It wouldn't matter that he was just a construct, Christians would take it that they were right and everyone else was wrong and non-Christians would be kind of brainwashed into going along with it anyway.
when you realise how horrifying a primal!Jesus would actually be...
Indeed. The havoc that their deity could wreak upon the rest of the population would be astounding. Not to mention that their very presence can drain further aether out of their surroundings. Worshippers oft have a need to offer sacrifices to their god in order to sustain them.
And worst of all: once they manifest, they are very difficult to kill without certain protections. Simply standing in their presence risks tempering.
absolutely, positively, wet-your-pants TERRIFYING
I--I need to sit down.
[finally seeing a bench, she makes her way over to it and sits down heavily, her hands grasping the edges of the bench until the knuckles turn white]
That would be. Awful. No one would know what to do or how to kill it. Assuming anyone would try. And the world really would end.
I have unleashed a monstrous concept D:
That is why Garleans worship no god. And why the Empire conquers its neighbours - for in their fear they give rise to these false deities and wreak destruction upon themselves and the land.
fdsa;kdfsjafaj;jfjka;k!!!
...fuck. Yeah. Yeah. Rampaging fake gods sound awful. Rampaging anything sounds awful.
you don't know his canon either do you?
...
That smile slowly morphs into a frown. ]
You're panicking again, aren't you. Was what I said that horrifying?
unfortunately I don't, but its concepts sound fascinating
A--a little? It's just. There's a lot of bad blood between the three religions I mentioned? And they've all been kind of fighting over the same place that holds religious significance for all of them for about two thousand years. And we have these things called nuclear bombs that can wipe out entire cities and kill millions of people in a second. And I just--can't see any set of circumstances where something like what you described would happen and avoid some country launching one of those bombs at another country. And it would be all downhill from there.
then I can continue cackling over here in [spoilers redacted] :')
[ Now he takes a seat beside her, maintaining a small yet reasonable gap between them. His fingers interlace in his lap while he watches her try to rally her senses.
War and religious fervour, he muses, are two constants no matter the world one finds themselves in. Short-lived species lack the capability to enforce lasting peace. ]
Well, with your lack of affinity for the arcane, you at least have nothing to fear with regards to primals. It sounds as though you have found other ways to viciously kill each other without them however, and I am curious as to why your religions haven't fallen over themselves in holy crusade yet.
[ Raised eyebrow at her. ]
feel free to cackle away! ;)
at his words, she forces herself to look at him, though she still looks a little shell-shocked]
I. Well. There were the Crusades? Hundreds of years ago, but Christians and Muslims--what followers of Islam call themselves--traded the land back and forth, over and over again.
The land belongs to the followers of Judaism now, but. Over six million of them had to die before they took it? Were given it? And that hasn't stopped the other two religions from wanting it for themselves. So I guess we're kind of stuck in some messed up balancing act.
The only good news is that everyone is afraid of using nuclear bombs because--because that would pretty much be it. Our planet would be ruined.
:3
Would that man could see all they had in common rather than what they do not.
[ He closes his eyes, rubs them tiredly, glances at her again. His tone is oddly sombre. ]
You should take care of your star-- planet, you call it? Piecing it back together once it has been broken is a lengthy burden for those left behind.
no subject
she hears his faint statement] Is that from a poem?
[she meets his eyes. hers are still wide and filled with trepidation]
I don't...think we're going to be in that kind of conflict any time soon? The president--oh, uh, I mean the ruler--of my country seems to be pretty level-headed, not the kind of guy who'd start something with another country unless something really bad happened.
no subject
[ And it comes with a faint, cryptic smile. She seems a little more collected now, so he continues-- ]
Your leader may not start a war, but it only takes one spark to ignite a flame. How can you be sure conflict won't come from outside your borders?
no subject
[yes, she's slowly calming herself. geopolitics weren't her field of study, but her roommate Kate was a news junkie as befitted a journalism major and left to her own devices, she'd watch CNN or MSNBC for hours]
Well...I guess I can't. We're not the only ones with nuclear bombs, other countries have them too and still other countries are trying to get them.
no subject
[ Having watched the Eorzean city-states fortify their defences and rally armed forces against Garlemald's encroaching XIV legion, he would not be surprised if that is the case for her world. Solus scoffs. ]
Hah. Peace through threat of war. A false and fragile peace.
no subject
[and that's not even touching on the problem of terrorist groups tied to no particular country who want weapons for themselves]
So far, it's managed to last since...1945? Not counting Korea or Vietnam. I know they were messes, but not enough to really explain why. It's 2011 now.
no subject
[ He can't begin to describe the level of unimpressed he is right now. ]
If it lasts another century then I may start to show some interest.
no subject
Well. Obviously I won't be alive by then. But I think we can make it?
no subject
...Well, 'tis no crime to dream, [ he says eventually. ] Whether your country falls or lasts through the aeons is ultimately no concern of mine. Managing my own empire was quite enough work.
no subject
What's it like, running an entire empire?
no subject
Utterly exhausting. Having officials pester me to sign off on this or that, making regular appearances to appease the masses, writing speeches to inflame the people's passion, managing unrest in subjugated territories... Ah, and guarding oneself against assassination attempts.
[ While he's loved by the populace, he is far less loved by the conquered peoples. ]
no subject
[it all sounds like a lot of work. much more work than she'd ever want to take on herself. she was supposed to start a job as an editor's assistant, but then wound up here and doubts that the job will be held open for her]
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