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


« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »


« « « AND IT GOES ON AND ON


It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. Yet, solace is found in the lies we tell each other, comforted by the peace of knowing that we're not alone in our depravity, and once on this path, sin itself becomes the lesser of two evils masked in a cloud of normalcy.

This is how Duplicity has functioned since the beginning. The divide of power and social standing is overt in that Dominants influence the decisions made both publicly and privately while Submissives cater to the rules presented to them. It is the way of Duplicity to assign random designations at birth with no leeway in altering what has been given. Climate in the Up is far stricter than that of the Down; violating outlined personas for a Dominant or Submissive while in full view of others is punished by degree of infraction. In the Down, many tend to turn a blind eye to these sorts of offenses.

To counteract the discovery of the Deceit Gene – a natural "negative" response to all stimuli – the L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues.

... and you’re here! Finally! Welcome to Duplicity.

After choosing a door and stepping through to the other side, the first thing that greets you are the enthusiastic faces of people in medical scrubs and pristine lab coats. Their enthusiasm translates to eagerness as they strip you of your clothes to perform a thorough examination—you will be healed, bathed, and given a paper gown to wear until your items can be processed and delivered to your residence later in the evening. You are also given a device that accesses the network as well as the time and location of orientation.

If you enter Duplicity into the Up, congratulations! You’re a Dominant, which means you are immediately picked up by a limo after processing and taken to your highrise. Here, it is two Dominants per floor with separate apartments. If you enter Duplicity into the Down, congratulations! You’re a Submissive, which means you are directed towards public transportation with the address of the motel you’ll be living in. Here, it is two Submissives per room with a shared common space for all rooms.

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

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



» » » TAKE A RIDE




After stepping through the door and participating in orientation, LIERS are assembled together in the Up for a tour of Duplicity in its entirety. Seats are in pairs and randomly assigned to Dominants and Submissives alike. Traveling from Fiddler's Square, the train journeys through various parts of the Up, showcasing society and examples of lifestyle. Along the way, frequent stops are made; a variety of passengers can be seen exiting and entering the doors. A Dominant with a kneeling Submissive takes a seat near the front of the train at one stop. A small group of Submissives board and sit closer to the LIERS at another, all seemingly content in their roles. As the tour continues through the Up, the train passes close to the Market and White Wall Bridge and zips by North Park before heading into the Down and bypassing Red Wall Bridge and South Park.

The train makes a "final" stop at Riddler's Square, where inhabitants of the Down are instructed to return to their temporary housing. Those who live in the Up are permitted to stay on the train and revisit the same locations while returning.



« « « A POCKET OF PENNIES




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

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

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

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

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



« « « NEW FLESH LIKE A GLOVE


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



« « « PERFECTION OF THE DIGITAL




(CW: potential dubcon, objectification)

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

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



« « « MOD & OOC NOTES



Please read carefully.

On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, characters will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chooses "left" or "right". When participating on the TDM, there will be a third option. Players may link either a top level or a thread (five or more comments from their character) from the TDM and title the link as "Door Pass". This means that the player is choosing to take the designation that they were randomly assigned on the TDM, rather than taking the designation of a door. If the player decides to select a door rather than use the pass, then they are trying their luck; they may get the same designation they had on the TDM or the opposite. Once the application is submitted, players can't change their choice.

To assign roles to characters for this TDM, use the following guide: In celebration of our one year, pick whichever role you want for your character!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

compellingstatement: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (embarrassed | huff)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-19 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
Jon pulls a sympathetic expression at the line. "No, I've been here several months. I was... I came in as a Submissive, though. Is there something specific you need at the moment? I'm not exorbitantly wealthy, but I can, er... help how I can." A pause before he holds up a hand. "I don't want anything for it. Just, well, I mean, I'd like to know about your tattoos?"
brooder: (stare)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-19 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
"You were a slave," Fenris commented, mostly to himself. That connection between them was a minor comfort all things considered, but he had to wonder what he might have done in order to rise from his station. Slaves were rarely freed for charitable reasons.

"I do not require wealth, but I do need allies. Friends, who I could call upon and in turn who could call upon me. But if all you require is knowledge of my markings I can give that to you, as well."
compellingstatement: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (embarrassed | blush)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-19 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
There's a bit of a long pause before Jon glances away again. "I... don't think you'd want me as an ally for most things outside money, honestly. Or, well, to pretend I'm your Dom for some reason or other. Or if you... need to hide somewhere. I'm not particularly useful outside of that. Not unless you're looking for information on the supernatural happenings here in Duplicity. Or a conversation on the finer points of English literature."
brooder: (thoughful)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-19 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
"What you have mentioned could be useful and I am grateful. While I no longer want to ride or hide from my problems, there may be times where it is required in order to survive another day." At least, for whatever unknown foes he may face in Duplicity. He would never hide from his former master or slavers, not anymore.

"I do not know what English is, but yes I do desire more knowledge of the city and what I can expect. Where I am from there is magic, unusual and deadly things happen frequently because of it. What do we face here?"
compellingstatement: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (embarrassed | huff)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-19 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's... a language and culture. My culture." That's probably going to take more time to explain than a train ride will allow, so Jon just presses on. He can't help quirking a brow, though.

"Unusual and deadly things that happen frequently because of LIEs?" The Archivist huffs. "We just got finished with a war that lasted... god... two weeks, maybe? The pitched fighting of it, anyway. I expect it's all been brewing much longer than that. It's only served to make the restrictions on Submissives tighter, though, since the Creator of LIEs won. Before that... well, a lot of things. The city transformed into a desert randomly and there were slave auctions and trials and... all sorts of things. Then the city turned into a hellish inferno with monsters everywhere and people dying and fire and earthquakes and floods.

"It's sort of incredibly horrible or marginally tolerable."
brooder: (thoughful)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-19 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Fenris had not heard of that culture which led to the conclusion that they must come from different worlds. Unsurprising, as he imagined not everyone could be from Thedas after being told that the magics here were wide-reaching. He had never even thought about the existence of other worlds and now he had to adapt. Not only to that, but of the various nightmarish scenarios that Jonathan was now describing.

While the elf kept his expressions to a minimum, there was a frown on his thoughtful face as more and more scenarios were spoken of. "This city sounds... relentless." That was a word for it, at the very least. That might explain why this fellow was so nervous. "It explains why it must be so difficult to overthrow them." Because, naturally, he thinks in the terms of rebellion. How could anyone organize when the world was being constantly shifted?

"Is there any advice you can give me?" Not that Fenris typically asked a question like that, but this situation was definitely beyond the normal.
compellingstatement: art by <user name=jaegerfker420 site=tumblr.com> (sad | look down)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-20 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
Jon supposes he could offer some sarcastic advice, but this man isn't being rude or particularly obnoxious at the moment. The Archivist is quiet a moment, considering. "You're already doing what my advice would be: Find allies. Find the people you can trust to protect you when it all goes to hell. Because it will. Time and again, even when you're released from the LIEs program. If you're kept around for a year to make it to that.

"If you're looking for someone who might protect you specifically from magic, my contract partner has a particular ability to remove magic and supernatural influences from most people. He can render them human or... unpowered, if they're a different species. Alessandro Tarabotti. He's also more likely to have thoughts about overthrowing things."

The Archivist shifts uncomfortably. "I'm, um... well, honestly? I tend to run and hide."
brooder: (*touch)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-20 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"I do not need any specific protection from magic, what I am strikes fear into the hearts of any who use it." He flexed his hand and, briefly, the lines in his skin flashed a faint white-blue glow that left the light scent of ozone in the air between them.

"But it would be good to have allies, regardless. Particularly if my environment were to change around me. I am able to adapt, but no man can do everything on his own." He had come to realize that more and more as the years went by.

He nodded in gratitude. "I am thankful for your information. It confirms much of what was spoken of. Know that there is no shame in the ability to run, hide and survive for another day. I did it for years."
compellingstatement: Art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (scared | don't like)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-20 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
That gets a reaction. The blue glow over the elf's skin, the scent. He shoves himself up against the window, voice hushed, eyes wide.. "You're a templar?"
brooder: (wary)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-21 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Fenris raised his eyebrows curiously. "You know what a Templar is."

Not a question, a statement of fact. And here he had been convinced that Jonathan was not of his world.

"I am not. The substance that Templars use, called lyrium, is in these markings."
compellingstatement: Art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (confused | surprised)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-21 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)
But still, an ability that makes him not need to worry about magic-users? Jon swallows, eyeing the elf with a mixture of concern and intense interest. "I know one here, Cullen Rutherford. We, um... we don't get on." He doesn't elaborate.

"Why do you have lyrium in your tattoos? Doesn't that hurt?"

brooder: (thoughful)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-21 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Cullen Rutherford. That name seemed familiar, but he did not mention it aloud.

"I was a slave, the bodyguard of a Magister. To intimidate his magical rivals he did this to me." Fenris flexed the fingers of one hand, curled inwards to a tight fist and then relaxed. His tone was as neutral as he could possibly be, but there was a bitter edge.

"It is agony."
compellingstatement: art by <user name=jaegerfker420 site=tumblr.com> (sad | look down)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-21 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Magister. That's one of the titles he remembers Dorian mentioning. The mention of being a slave and the pain combined with the elf not actually being a templar settles the Archivist marginally. "I'm sorry. I... they sold me as a slave when the city changed, but my master was... he was just trying to rescue me from anyone else. He was kind. He's my contract partner now, I mean. I- technically... I'm the master, but it- I'm not really... Well. He whines when he has to run his own bath or make his own coffee. It's easier to just... take care of that.

"There are good people here. Regardless of the mark on their throats. And there are awful people, too. I'm sorry you'll have to deal with them because of that mark." Jon rubs a hand over his face. "Is there anything that helps with the pain? I could help you get it?"
Edited (typos) 2019-10-21 22:01 (UTC)
brooder: (brood)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-21 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Fenris was quiet as Jonathan spoke. He took in the information, and deduced that this man, while nervous, was the type who wanted to be helpful which was something that Fenris needed. Even if he couldn't fight, he might prove to be someone who would be supportive. Anything helped, really.

He waved a hand briefly to dismiss the apologies when they were offered to him. "I do not need pity, or a remedy. I survive, as I always do, and there are others who have suffered far worse fates than I." He shoved his own pain aside in order to focus on what he thought was more important. "But I will keep it in mind."

"I am used to dealing with those who believe they are above me. Do not hesitate to call me you require my strength to fend off any harassment as well."
Edited 2019-10-21 22:24 (UTC)
compellingstatement: art by <user name=jaegerfker420 site=tumblr.com> (scared | uncertain)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-21 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Jon looks more than a little surprised at the offer, a light blush tinging his cheeks. Why on Earth is this man offering that so quickly? They've known each other all of ten minutes and Jon can offer him virtually nothing. Is this some sort of gambit to gain favors? What does he actually want? Is this a trap?

The paranoid thoughts chase after each other for several seconds until Jon manages to get a mental leash on them.

"Oh, I- er... that's, um... thank you. I don't- I mean, I mostly try to just... avoid people?" To greater and lesser success, depending on the day. "I'll keep it in mind, as well." There's an awkward pause. "Do you have a network ID, then? I mean, I probably won't call you, in all honesty, but you can have my ID if you think of something you need. It's thearchivist, all run together."
brooder: (puppy eyes)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-22 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
Fenris notices the surprise and silently, he understands it. This was likely unusual, but he couldn't afford to step lightly around others when he was alone. He had to make allies, and this was the best way to do it.

"I believe I do," he hesitates for a moment before he withdraws the black 'brick'-like object that the persons in charged called a 'device' or something of that nature. "It would likely be on this." He offered it to Jon because he honestly had no idea how to work it, despite the fact that he'd been shown.

"Perhaps... you can put yours into it."
compellingstatement: Art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (srs | calculating)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-22 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
Right. People from a time without technology. Jon takes the tablet and navigates quickly to Fenris' contacts. He types in his username and then starts to type 'The Archivist' for the contact name before deleting and putting in 'Jonathan Sims.'

"There. Send me a text message and I'll have you in mine." A pause. "Do you... know how to do that, yet?"
brooder: (brood)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-22 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
There was a pregnant pause.

Eventually, Fenris finally spoke. "I will learn." Not mentioning the fact that he could not read, that was something he did not want to admit to at the moment.
compellingstatement: Art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (question | srs)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-22 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay. Here, it's just..." Jon taps on the app for the network. "You tap here, and then you can select text, voice, or video. That's what the little icons mean. The pictures. The speech bubble is text, the cone there, it's called a megaphone. That means voice. And the last one is called a camera. That means video. It lets you send a continuously-moving image of yourself to other people. If you don't want to have to deal with people responding to you in something that isn't what you used, you can flip on the text-to-audio converter. That will read out any text to you and let you 'type' the text by speaking to your tablet. Or you can turn on audio-to-text if you're somewhere quiet. It turns anything said into text."

Jon will show Fenris where all the settings are, then how to send a direct message to someone, sending himself a text that just says 'test' and showing Fenris how the notification pops up.

"Does all of that make sense? I'm not very good with technology, myself, but most of this is from my time, thankfully."
Edited 2019-10-22 00:46 (UTC)
brooder: (thoughful)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-22 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
Fenris leaned in to observe everything that Jonathan was pointing at. It was a lot to take in, but he was more clever than he gave himself credit for and was able to comprehend the symbols once they were explains.

"I see," it almost appeared to be a sort of magic, but he did not want to think too much about it. If the tool was useful then he needed to use it, regardless of the origins. "Yes, I can do it now." He taps the button that Jonathan did to say 'hello' and watched the letters appear on the screen.

So, that is how you spell a greeting...

He nodded and accepted the device back. "This is a great help. You have my gratitude."
compellingstatement: Art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (annoyed | grump)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-22 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
"It's not a problem, I-" He glances up at the sign that's reading out the next station. "Bloody-! I missed my stop!" Which is annoying. "Sorry, I need to..." He stands up and will attempt to step over Fenris' legs if the elf doesn't move first. "I have to get home to make dinner. Call me if you have any other questions about your tablet. Or talk to most people, honestly. They could probably explain better than I have."
brooder: (wary)

[personal profile] brooder 2019-10-22 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Fenris' eyes widened, but he had excellent instincts and quickly moved himself so that Jonathan could pass without any trouble.

"I apologize for keeping you," he said quickly. "Until then." He was very appreciative and did not know how to express that when the other man had to rush away, but perhaps another time.
compellingstatement: art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (srs | suspicious)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2019-10-22 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Fine. It's fine." The words are grumbled as the Archivist stalks to the door and quickly presses the button to let him out.

What a hassle!