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!! |
no subject
"Knight-Captain," he greeted, briefly raising his fist to his chest with a slight bow of respect. A Templar, at the very least, deserved that. It was strange, he did not look quite so... drained as he did when Fenris had first seen him. Less haggard, not as much red around the eyes, in some ways he appeared more... mature?
"It seems as though I am not the only one from Kirkwall here." He approached him so that they did not have to speak to loudly in order to hear each other. While Fenris was slow to trust, at the very least Templars were high on his list of those he did not have to be too wary of.
no subject
"Ah, suffice it to say this may wind up sounding confusing. If you bear with me, I'll be able to explain some of it. Perhaps not as much as you'd wish."
He glanced around and found a recessed doorway where they could speak more at length without drawing attention to themselves, gesturing for him to follow if he would. Once they were ensconced, he decided the most important thing to tell him was something he wished he had known when he arrived.
"No, I'm not the only other one from Thedas. Hawke is here," and here his voice shifted to distaste. "As is Anders. As well as a couple of people you may not have met before." He could go into that later.
"As for me, I'm... Kirkwall is several years distant for me now. I'm serving as Commander to the Inquisition." He waited to see if that sparked any sort of recognition. There was no sense in inundating him with everything at once.
no subject
He was quiet as he was told information that held little to no meaning to him. "I do not know this Hawke. Anders," he paused with thought. "That is the Grey Warden who keeps a clinic in Lowtown, I believe. I have not met him, though I have heard a rumor that he is a mage."
What came next truly gave him pause. Once again, he examined Cullen's face. That would certainly explain why he looked older. "Had you said something like this to me in Kirkwall I would have many questions for you. But after coming here, I see no reason to mistrust what you say. Those who brought us here are rife with foul magics that I cannot comprehend.
Tell me, does this... Inquisition you serve know where you are now?"
no subject
Of one thing, he was certain. He wasn't going to give Anders a chance to take Fenris off guard or imply things to him that he had implied to Cullen about Hawke here. He couldn't undo the damage Jon had done with his meddling. He could possibly keep worse from happening. "He's more than a mage. He's an abomination. Be wary of him. He may recall more of you than you do of him. From what I saw of the two of you in my time in Kirkwall, you were at odds."
He frowned and folded his arms. "Also, the Hawke here is a different one from one he remembers from his time. Don't take whatever he tells you of him at face value. Better to form your own opinion if you two run across one another." There. Honest but avoiding anything truly explosive for now.
"What they have done to us may not be magic at all, but technology. If you haven't seen this yet, you likely will soon. As for the Inquisition, I have no way of knowing. I doubt very much they know where I am. I may, however, be considered missing back home. What were you doing before you arrived here?" That could be helpful in pinning down a timeline.
no subject
"I am grateful for the warning. It is strange to think that you have seen a future version of myself, one who has not dealt with the abomination immediately. I imagine I had more pressing matters to attend to." Danarius, of course, was his first priority.
"I will not question you too vigorously, Commander, as I must keep my focus on the now rather than the far future. While I am here I ask if I may call upon you if I need help, and in turn you may call upon me. If you know of me perhaps you have heard of what I am capable of." He may as well establish that alliance immediately, a Templar was always good to have on his side.
"I had only been in Kirkwall for a few days. I was... establishing myself." He didn't know how to phrase 'plotting the capture of my former Master's mansion in order to lie in wait for him to kill him'. That was probably a lot upon a first meeting, it could be elaborated on later.
no subject
"Of course. Here. They gave you a phone, yes? The little black device? I assure you that it is technology, not magic. A useful thing. I can put my number in and make it so that you have but to press a single button to call me." He held out his hand. "Just be careful not to have any conversation you would not want the enemy to hear. They listen."
Only a few days? Then he was from even further in the past than he expected. Yes, there was little point in burdening him with a future that might or might not come to pass in his version of Thedas.
no subject
There was no point in attempting to keep this secret, particularly if this tool was going to be useful in contacting help quickly. "I was a slave, a bodyguard to be exact. There was no reason for my former master to teach me how to read. While I may only need to press one button I will need to be shown exactly where that button is."
no subject
He'd have to do some research at the library here, see if he could find anything suitable as a primer that wouldn't be geared toward children. Surely LIEs would see some value in making one of their subjects better able to understand compliance. Whether Fenris applied it that way or not was entirely up to him. Cullen wasn't above using the enemy's motivations in his favor.
"Until then..." It took some real doing, testing the upper limits of the familiarity he'd been able to glean from dedicating his time and effort to learning what he could do with this tool. Finally, he had a small version of his user picture next to the contact list. He stepped up beside him shoulder to shoulder to show him. "That's me. There's no one else here who looks like me. You press that button, it puts a call straight to me."
He did so to show him, his phone ringing. Immediately, he answered, hung up, and saved the contact. "And now I have you, too."
no subject
"I... thank you, Commander." He finally managed, his voice still low but there was warmth in his tone, something that had not been in his controlled voice before. He watched as Cullen weaved patterns on the stone, or whatever the device was made of, and the result was something that resembled magic but was not actually. He was not sure whether he liked it or not, but it could be useful so he accepted it.
He was not even uncomfortable with the proximity of the other man. On the contrary, it had been quite some time since he allowed someone to get so near, and it was not unpleasant. It was then that he truly looked and noticed that Cullen had rather handsome features, though this was hardly the time to mention it and so he kept it to himself.
"I will call upon you regularly." Of that, he was certain.
no subject
It didn't occur to him how easily he accepted, Commander, much as he did from Dorian without questioning it. In the context, it felt comfortable, much better than Knight Captain, or Knight Commander. It felt a bit like home.
"See that you do. I'll help as I can. This place is a steep learning curve for people like us. The technology is so advanced that there are still many, many things I don't understand despite best efforts. You'll see that for yourself when the time comes." He looked him over again, reconciling what he recalled of him from Kirkwall with now. There was very little difference. It was heartening.
"I don't want to say I'm glad you're here. I'd wish this place on no one. I'll amend it to I'm looking forward to working with you. I feel you'll be a valuable ally against the vagaries of this place."
no subject
There was a faint pause before he replied. "I could not say that I am glad I am here either, but, admittedly, it gives me more time to prepare for the future." As much as he knew that he was ready for Danarius, he still wasn't truly ready until he gained more allies and he had only just entered Kirkwall. Who could he really trust?
"The feeling is mutual."
(ooc note on this thread so I don't forget: Fenris was not told about Anders!!!)
no subject
"While we're here, though, we'll do what we can to make it productive." If he had his way, they would build enough of a coalition to take out this so-called Creator and return everyone to their respective homes.
That was a lot to lay at a new arrival's feet, especially one marked submissive. There would be time for talking like that later down the line. "Is there anything else you need right now?"
no subject
"I see," he said, his chin raising once more. "Yes, let us make do with what we have now." Because he didn't want to think about the alternative. "No, I..." Pause. "Well," he dug into one of his pockets to withdraw a scrap of paper with an address written on it, including a room number.
"The place where I am to live. Do you know where it is?"
no subject
He took the paper and held it up to look at it. "I do. It's on my way. I can walk you there." He lowered it so that Fenris could observe it, too. "Your first reading lesson is a number." He read it out to him and then sounded out the individual numbers, pointing at each.
"Numbers are the easiest by far. You'll have that in no time."
no subject
Once outside of his building, he understood which door he had to go to know that he could read the numbers and he nodded as he took the piece of paper back. "I am grateful," he said as he lingered outside of the door. It seemed like such a simple thing to say given how much Cullen was helping, but it was all he could do for now.
"We will speak again, soon."
no subject
"I'd like that. Once you're more settled, we can set up a schedule for your reading lessons. Until then, I know I needn't tell you to watch your back." He took a couple of steps back before pivoting on his heel and heading back on his way toward the clinic.
Maybe something was finally breaking his way a bit. It was a shame it was at Fenris' expense. He could do nothing about that beyond hopefully easing the difficulty of his stay somewhat.